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THE 



SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS' MANUAL 



DEVOTION. 



BY 



WILLIAM BERRIAN, D.D. 



RECTOR OF TRINITY CHURCH, N8W-I03X. 









'4 

NEW-YORK: 

PUBLISHED FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE 
ARMY AND NAVY CONVENTION. 
//)% j Q0 JOHX, STREET j* , , s 



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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Year 1844, 

By WILLIAM BERRIAN, D. D. 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District 

of New- York. 



\Q &"? 



STEREOTYPED BY VINCENT L. DILL, 
No. 128 Fulton Street, New- York. 



PREFACE. 



This little manual of devotion was prepared, with the 
aid of the Liturgy and other devotions of a kindred 
spirit, at the request of a friend, once an Officer in the 
Army, but now a Minister of the Church, for the use 
of Sailors and Soldiers. A perfect adaptation of it to 
the peculiar circumstances of these two classes of men, 
could only be made by one intimately acquainted with 
their respective characters and habits ; who had been 
associated with them in difficulties and dangers; and 
who would therefore be touched with a feeling of their 
infirmities and wants. In the absence of qualifications 
so essential to the proper accomplishment of the work, 
it was undertaken with diffidence, and executed with 
fear and distrust. The hope nevertheless is fondly 
cherished, that the present effort, however imperfect, to 
supply an acknowledged and deep felt want will not be 

found so unsuitable to the design as to be altogether in 
vain. 



CONTENTS. 



Page 
A Player for a grievous Sinner, who has long delayed his re- 
pentance . . . . . . .7 

Another Prayer after a long course of wickedness and impiety 9 

A Prayer upon a relapse into sin » . . .11 

A General and humble confession of sin . . . 13 

A Prayer for repentance and growth in grace . » .15 

" for one that is not duly grieved with his sins . 17 

" against temptation . . * . .18 

" for deliverance from evil . . . .19 

" against inordinate desires . . » .20 

" for temperance ... .21 

A Penitential Litany . . . » » ♦ 22 

A Prayer for humility ..... 27 

" for obedience to Commanders on Land or at Sea > 28 
Another for the Same ..... 30 

A Prayer by a Commander for himself and others . . 30 

" to be used by Officers with their troops, or Com- 
manders with their Crews . . » 32 
Another for the Same in time of peace . . .36 
A Prayer in time of war or tumults * . 37 
" in time of war . . . . .37 

Another ...»>.. 39 

Prayers to be used before battle . . . .40 

Thanksgivings after victory 41 

A Thanksgiving for Peace and Deliverance from our enemies 43 
" for restoring public Peace at Home . 44 

A Prayer to be used by an Officer on Court Martial when Sen- 
tence of Death may be passed . . . .44 

Prayers to be used by a Man under Sentence of Death . 46 

A Prayer for a person going to Sea . . . .49 

Another for a person either before a March or going to Sea 49 

A Thanksgiving for a safe return from Sea . . 50 

" after a Journey or Voyage . . .50 

An Office of Prayer to be used at Sea . . , .51 

" " to be said especially in a Storm or danger 

of Pirates or Shipwreck . . 54 

1* 



VI CONTENTS. 

Page 
Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea. {From the Lit- 
urgy). . . . . . . .57 

Two Prayers to be used in Ships of War . . 57, 58 

Prayers to be used in Storms at Sea . . .53 

The Prayer to be said before a Fight at Sea against any enemy 59 
Snort Prayers for single Persons, who cannot meet to join in 

prayer with others, by reason of the Fight or Storm . CO 

Special Prayers with respect to the enemy ... 60 

Short Prayers in respect of a Storm . . . .60 

Thanksgiving after a Storm .... 63 

Psalm 107. — Confiremini Domino . , . .64 

Collects of Thanksgiving ..... 65 

Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving after a Dangerous Tempest 67 
A Psalm or Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving after Victory 63 
Te Deum Laudamus . . . . . .70 

A Prayer for Sunday Morning 

" for Sunday Evening 
A Morning Prayer . 
An Evening Prayer 
Another Morning P-rayer . 
Another Evening Prayer 
A Prayer to be used by a Person in 

and Friends 
A Prayer before the Communion 
A Thanksgiving after Communion 



behalf of absent Relatives 



73 
75 

73 
79 
81 
S3 

85 
87 
89 



PRAYERS FOR THE SICK. 

A Prayer to be said when first taken ill 91 

Another ....... 92 

" for Patience . . . • .93 

Another ....... 94 

" for Repentance and Pardon . . . .95 

Another ....... 96 

For a Blessing on the Means, which may be used for Recovery 97 
Another • . . . . .98 

Upon the Appearance of Recovery . . . .99 

A Thanksgiving for the Beginning of a Recovery from Sickness 100 

" for a Recovery from Sickness . . .102 

When there is no hope of Recovery . . . 103 

Against the Fear of Death ..... 104 

Another ...... 105 

To be used by a Dying Person, for his Relations and Friends . 106 
The Office of the Visitation of the Sick, (From the 

Litiirgy.) . . . . .107 



THE 



SAILORS' AMD SOLDIERS' 

HAWIDFA3L ©F DEYOTIEOSTo 



A Prayer for a grievous sinner who has long delayed his 
repentance. 

OMOST holy and merciful God, who wouldest 
not that any should perish, but that all 
should come to repentance, be merciful to me a 
miserable sinner. I have too long neglected my 
duty to thee, I have grievously transgressed thy 
righteous laws, I have trodden under foot the 
blood of thy Son, and done despite unto the Spirit 
of grace. My sins are gone over my head, and 
are, as a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear. 
Enter not into judgment with thy servant Lord, 
for in thy sight no man living shall be justified : 
How much less a miserable wretch who am the 
chief of sinners ! I have provoked thy Divine 
Majesty by a life of wickedness, for w r hich thou 
mightest justly have long since cut me off, and 
driven me from thy presence with everlasting 
destruction. I have been a blasphemer of thy 
name, a hinderer of thy word, a slave of my own 



8 THE SAILORS* 

lusts, and a tempter of my brethren ; I have 
nothing to plead in my defence. I will lay my 
hand upon my mouth and repent in dust and 
ashes. But since in the very depth of my wretch- 
edness thou hast looked down upon me with 
compassion, and awakened me to a sense of my 
danger and guilt, Oh gracious God, complete the 
good work which thou hast begun in me ; remove 
the scales from my eyes that I may see all the 
sinfulness of my ways and the wonders of thy 
grace ; soften this stony heart and change it into 
a heart of flesh. Oh that my head were waters 
and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might 
weep, day and night for my past transgressions ! 
But accept Lord, the feeble desires which thy 
grace has inspired ; break not a bruised reed, nor 
quench the smoking flax; but enkindle in me 
such love towards thee for thy mercy that I may 
serve thee faithfully for the time to come, and fill 
me with such an abhorrence of my iniquities that 
I may sin no more. Create in me a clean heart 
and renew a right spirit within me, and as in the 
time past I have dishonoured thee by my trans- 
gressions, so now adorn me I beseech thee with 
all the gifts and graces of thy Spirit, and number 
me with thy saints in glory everlasting. Hear me 
O Lord in these my supplications and prayers, for 
the sake of my Advocate and Redeemer Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 9 

Another Prayer after a long course of wickedness and impiety. 

O GREAT and merciful God, the fountain of 
wisdom, the source of grace and truth, the 
giver of pardon, of life, and of salvation, the help- 
er and comforter of all who flee unto thee for suc- 
cour; look down w r ith pity and compassion on me 
thy unworthy servant, lying in the pollution of 
my sins, in the fear of thy wrath, in the shadow 
of death, and within the very verge of the gates 
of hell. I confess to thee God, what thou 
knowest too well, but I confess it to manifest thy 
Justice and to glorify thy Mercy who hast spared 
me so long, that I am guilty of the vilest follies 
and sins which can dishonour the worst of thy 
creatures. 

I have been proud and covetous, envious and 
malicious, indevout and irreligious, restless in my 
passions, careless of thy counsels, and weary of 
the offices of thy holy religion. I can give no 
account of my time which has been miserably 
misspent, and I cannot reckon the sins of my 
tongue. In the remembrance of my misdoings 
which are intolerable, my imperfections which are 
shameful, my omissions which are innumerable, 
what shall I say unto thee thou preserver of 
men ? I am so vile that I cannot express it, so 
sinful that I am hateful to myself, and what then 
must I be in thy sight who art of purer eyes than 



10 

to behold iniquity! I have weakly yielded to the 
snares and allurements of the flesh and the devil, 
and I have sometimes sinned against thee, by 
courting temptation and shunning the ways of 
righteousness and peace. 

But yet God, since thou hast still left me so 
much grace as to be humbled by the remembrance 
of my iniquities, be thou also the lifter up of my 
head, and suffer me not to continue in sin nor to 
sink into despair, Let me not perish in my folly 
nor be consumed in thy heavy displeasure; give 
me time and space to repent and strengthen me 
by the aids of thy Holy Spirit, that as by thy gift 
and mercy I intend to amend whatsoever is amiss, 
so I may indeed have grace and power faithfully 
to fulfil the same. Support me in my tempta- 
tions and trials with a holy hope, confirm me in my 
purposes with an operative faith, and enkindle in 
my soul a bright and burning charity ; that walk- 
ing in thy light, following thy commandments, 
and delighting in thy service, I may be delivered 
wholly from my sin and for ever preserved from 
thy wrath, and may finally pass from a certain 
expectation to the actual enjoyment of the glories 
of thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 11 

A Prayer upon a relapse into sin. 

O GREAT and glorious God, I tremble to come 
into thy presence polluted and dishonoured 
as I am by the foul stains of sin, which I have 
once more contracted after having been cleansed 
by the blood of thy Son, and renewed by thy 
grace in the spirit of my mind. But I must come, 
or I perish. Wretched man that I am ! unfit to 
appear in thy presence, yet not daring to stay from 
thee ; shrinking from thy sight with shame and 
sorrow, and yet drawn to thee by the hope of mer- 
cy and forgiveness. Heavenly Father, I have 
sinned against thee, and am no more worthy to be 
called thy son. I have grieved thy Spirit and 
crucified afresh my Lord and my God. But the 
greatness of my sin brings me to my remedy, and 
the very sense of my wretchedness fills me with 
hopes of thy pardon and favour ; for a broken and 
a contrite heart, God, thou wilt not despise. It 
is only because thy compassions fail not, and are 
renewed every morning, that I am emboldened to 
hope for thy mercy : for, my God, what have I 
done ! whither have I fallen ! I was called by thy 
word, instructed by thy wisdom, and strengthened 
by thy might in the inner man ; I was blessed 
with the light of thy countenance, encircled with 
thy graces, conducted by thy Spirit, and sealed, as 
I had hoped, to the day of redemption. Yet, 



12 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS 1 

knowing my sin and seeing my danger, neither 
ignorant nor surprised, I have wilfully, basely, 
and sensually renounced thee for the pleasures of 
a moment; I have exchanged thy loving kindness 
which is better than life for that which has per- 
ished in the using, and have justly provoked thy 
wrath and indignation against me. I am ashamed 
O God, of my ingratitude and guilt, and put my 
mouth in the dust. But in the pangs of sorrow 
which pierce my heart, I still perceive the com- 
munications of thy love. Thou hast not left me 
to sin without compunction, nor taken thy Holy 
Spirit from me. If thou hadst not loved me and 
pitied me, thou mightest have stricken me in the 
act of my shame. I know the design of thy 
mercy and forbearance is to bring me to repent- 
ance and pardon, to life and grace. I thank thee 
O God, and humbly comply with thy gracious 
purposes. Receive then a returning sinner, sus- 
tain my wounded spirit, heal this broken and 
contrite heart, refresh and relieve me who am 
weary and heavy laden with my sins, strengthen 
me with thy grace, that hereafter, I may watch 
more carefully, resist more powerfully, walk 
more circumspectly, and serve thee without sin 
and without shame all the days of my life ; that 
passing the time of my sojourning here in fear 
and holiness, I may enter into the joy of my Lord 
in the world to come, through the merits of my 
Advocate and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 13 



A general and humble confession of sin. 

HAVE mercy upon me, God, after thy great 
goodness, and according to the multitude of 
thy mercies do away mine offences. For I will 
confess my wickedness, and be sorry for my sin. 
Lord, I am not worthy to be reckoned among the 
meanest of thy servants, nor to receive the slight- 
est of thy favours, but if thou wert to deal with 
me as I most justly have deserved, my portion 
would be with the fearful and unbelieving in 
outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnash- 
ing of teeth. The spirit of uncleanness hath 
entered into my body and unhallowed the temple 
which thou didst consecrate for the habitation of 
thy spirit of holiness and love. My senses have 
been the inlets to corruption and sin, mine ears 
have been open to slander and detraction, mine 
eyes have been turned to vanity and folly, my 
lips have uttered perverseness and been a cause 
of grief to myself and of offence to others ; my 
passions have been fierce and unruly, my desires 
impatient of control, and all the members of my 
body and the faculties of my mind have been the 
instruments of sin. But great God, it is not only 
my personal faults which accuse me and fill me 
with anxiety and fear. I have encouraged others 
to sin, quieted their apprehensions, hardened their 
consciences, and tempted them both by word and 



14 the sailors' and soldiers' 

example to their ruin and mine, unless thy glori- 
ous and unspeakable mercy should prevent so 
intolerable a calamity. Lord, I have abused thy 
mercy, despised thy judgments, and turned thy 
grace into lasciviousness ; I have been unthankful 
for thy goodness and loving kindness ; I have 
sinned and repented, and then sinned again ; I 
have resolved to sin no more, and upon a fresh 
temptation have weakly and miserably broken 
my vows, till I am almost ashamed to ask for for- 
giveness, and am ready to sit down in hopeless 
despair. But Lord, not only are my open mis- 
deeds, but my secret sins set plainly before thee 
in the light of thy countenance ; those which I 
have noted and those which I have forgotten, 
those which might have been prevented by watch- 
fulness and care, and those into which I have 
fallen by presumption and neglect. God, I am 
confounded with their multitude and filled with 
horror at their remembrance. Since thou hast 
nevertheless spared me and given me space for 
repentance, I will still hope in thy mercy. Give 
me a deep contrition for my sins. Give me grace 
instantly and for ever to forsake them. Give me 
such a hearty detestation and loathing of them, 
that I may hate them worse than death with its 
sting, and the Judgment with its torments; and 
enable me to walk henceforth with such care and 
prudence, such watchfulness and fear, as to redeem 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 15 

the time which I have so wofully misspent, that 
thou mayest have the glory of pardoning all my 
sins, and I may reap the fruit of all thy mercies 
and graces in living a holy life here and reigning 
with thee for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

For repentance and growth in grace. 

O GRACIOUS and Eternal God, the fountain 
of mercy and holiness, hear the cries and 
regard the supplications of thy servant, though 
altogether unworthy to appear in thy presence. 
But notwithstanding my innumerable sins, my 
manifold abuses of thy goodness, and my heed- 
lessness and contempt of thy long suffering and 
patience towards me, thou still vouchsafest unto 
me the means of grace and repentance. Awaken 
my soul from this sleep of death, and make me 
duly sensible of the hatefulness and deformity of 
my transgressions, and of the dreadful and insup- 
portable eternity of torments, to which, if unre- 
pented of, and unforgiven, they must inevitably 
consign me. Give me a deep contrition for hav- 
ing offended thee my merciful Creator and Re- 
deemer. Work in my soul that godly sorrow 
which leadeth to repentance unto salvation, that 
heartily detesting and loathing all my past abomi- 
nations, and suing unto thee for pardon with 
strong crying and tears, I may obtain of thee, the 



16 

God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgive- 
ness. Thou who despisest not the sighing of a 
broken and contrite heart, give heed unto my 
prayer. Thou who hast a regard unto the 
desire of the sorrowful, incline thine ear and 
hearken unto mine. Suffer me no more to do 
any act of shame, let me not look back upon 
Sodom, nor delight to dwell in the regions of 
death. Endue me w r ith so firm a resolution, such 
a true repentance, and so pure and heavenly a 
hope, as that I may turn unto thee with all my 
heart, and no temptation from this time forth may 
ever prevail against me. Give me a holy and 
unreprovable faith, that I may be enabled to over- 
come the world, to crucify the flesh with its affec- 
tions and lusts, and to quench all the fiery darts 
of the devil. And let this faith fill me with 
charity, that my repentance may be perfect and 
acceptable, my hatred of sin may increase my 
love of thee my God, and love produce universal 
obedience to thy commandments, and obedience 
be perpetual and unbroken. Strengthen me each 
day more and more with thy Holy Spirit, that I 
may grow in grace, advance in holiness, live in 
thy favour, and die with thy blessing; and at the 
last day may have my portion in the resurrection 
of the just, and enter into the joy of my Lord to 
reap in a blessed eternity, what is here sown in 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 17 

sorrow and tears, through thy mercies God, and 
the merits of thy Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ* Amen. 

For one that is not duly grieved with his sins. 

GAINST thee Lord, have I sinned and 
done evil in thy sight, and what shall I now 
say unto thee in excuse of my folly and guilt 1 I 
acknowledge my faults and my sin is ever before 
me, but not with that depth of feeling nor confu- 
sion and shame, with which I ought to be hum- 
bled and abased. I have offended thee and en- 
dangered my own soul, and though there is no 
sin which has dominion over me and none which 
I do not unfeignedly long and strive to shake off, 
I am still amazed at my apathy and unconcern. 
my God, arouse me from my insensibility and 
give me such a keen perception of my wicked- 
ness, that I may continually lament and bewail 
it, that rivers of tears may run down mine eyes 
because I have not kept thy law, that I may 
mourn in secret for my transgressions, and confess 
them with humiliation and sorrow in the congre- 
gation of the saints. Lord, who causedst water 
to flow out of the rock of stone, break this stony 
heart of mine and make it to gush out with floods 
of grief. Give me a heart of flesh that it may be 
sensible to any impressions, with which a guilty 
conscience is wont to affect a returning penitent. 

2* 



18 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS 1 

Make me to loathe my sins, and myself because 
of them, to humble my soul before thee with the 
deepest abasement, and to supplicate thy grace 
and Holy Spirit with such earnestness and fervour, 
as that I may never leave thee till I have obtain- 
ed the blessing of pardon and peace. Let not my 
conscience accuse me, nor my heart condemn me 
in vain, until thou, who art greater than my heart 
and knowest all things, mayest justly stop thine 
ears when I cry unto thee in the anguish of my 
soul. Let me no longer sin with such heedless- 
ness and unconcern against the light of thy gos- 
pel, the terrors of thy law, the invitations of thy 
mercy, the rebukes of thy Spirit, the checks and 
remonstrances of my own mind and my most 
solemn obligations and vows. But absolve me 
from the guilt, deliver me from the power, cleanse 
me from the pollution, save me from the punish- 
ment of this and all my other offences; reconcile 
me to thyself here, and crown me with immortal 
glory hereafter, through our only Mediator and 
Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Against temptation. 

O HEAVENLY Father who knowest whereof 
we are made and rememberest that we are 
but dust, look down upon me I beseech thee, with 
pity and compassion, and graciously assist me in 
my temptations and trials. Guard me against the 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 19 

weakness of my own heart, the allurements of 
the world, the lusts of the flesh, and the crafts and 
assaults of the devil. Suffer me not from an 
undue reliance on my own strength to be high- 
minded, nor timidly to distrust the sufficiency of 
thy grace ; but enable me to work out my sal- 
vation with fear and trembling; help me in my 
efforts and crown me with success. Be thou 
my rock and my castle, my deliverance and de- 
fence, that being protected through thy might I 
may fight manfully under thy banner, and con- 
tinue thy faithful soldier and servant unto my life's 
end. Nourish the grace which is sown in my 
heart, and make it fruitful unto every good work. 
Give me the increase of faith, hope, and charity, 
and that I may obtain that which thou dost pro- 
mise, make me to love that which thou dost com- 
mand, for the sake of my Advocate and Redeemer, 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 

For deliverance from evil. 

O GRACIOUS God, I thy unworthy servant, 
weak and ignorant, sinful and depraved, with 
affections inclining me to evil and unruly passions 
impatient of control, do call upon thee who art 
mighty to save, for help and deliverance. My 
adversary the devil, crafty and malicious, active 
and watchful, goeth about continually seeking 
whom he may devour ; and I, wretched man that 



20 the sailors' and soldiers' 

I am, tempt myself, running' out to mischief, de- 
lighting in the approaches to sin, and loving the 
indulgences which with uneasiness and horror 
I ought carefully to shun. Pity me Lord, in 
the midst of my disorders and give me spiritual 
strength, firmness of purpose, and unceasing 
watchfulness to be my security in the hour of 
danger and trial. Give me thy grace to flee from 
all occasions of sin, that I may never tempt my- 
self, nor take delight in the opportunity of being 
tempted by others. Deliver me from sin and 
shame, from anguish and remorse, from the fear 
of thy wrath and everlasting damnation. Smite 
me here if thou wilt with a father's rod, but spare 
me hereafter ; and let me not have my portion in 
that region of darkness and woe, where the worm 
dieth not and the fire is never quenched. Grant 
this God, for the sake of our Advocate and 
Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Against inordinate desires. 

OHOLY and biesssed Jesus, who wast born of 
a pure virgin, and delightest to dwell in the 
hearts of the pure, behold with mercy thy frail 
and sinful servant, encompassed with infirmities 
and exposed to the temptations of fleshly lusts 
which war against the soul. I cannot stand 
Lord, in the day of battle unless thou coverest me 
with thy shield, and hidest me under thy wings. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 21 

The fiery darts of the devil are ready to consume 
me, unless they be quenched by the continual 
dew of thy heavenly grace. Thou didst create me 
after thine own image. keep me so pure and 
spotless, so chaste and clean, that my body may 
be a holy temple meet for the habitation of thy 
Spirit, and my soul a partaker of thy purity and 
love. Purge me from all stain of sin, let me hate 
the very garment spotted by the flesh, let me 
mourn in bitterness of spirit over the impurity and 
corruption of my past life, and suffer me no 
longer to be the slave of my appetites and lusts. 
Kindle the holy fire of thy love in my heart, and 
let it consume all the dross with which it has been 
hitherto defiled ; and grant that I may no more 
grieve thy blessed Spirit by any work of darkness, 
but that after a pure and holy life here, I may be 
presented unto God, washed and cleansed in thy 
blood, and reign with Thee for ever and ever ; to 
whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all 
honour and glory world without end. Amen. 

For temperance. 

O ALMIGHTY God the Father of angels and 
men, who openest thy hand and fillest all 
things living with plenteousness, and who in satis* 
fying our wants and multiplying our comforts hast 
given us unceasing occasion to praise thee for thy 
goodness and to rejoice in thy mercies ; grant that 



22 the sailors' and soldiers' 

I may never by my folly turn thy bounty into sin 
nor thy grace into wantonness. Give me the spirit 
of temperance and sobriety, that I may always use 
the gifts of thy providence in conformity with the 
designs of thy grace, making them instrumental to 
thy glory and my comfort, and not to the unlaw- 
ful indulgence of the lusts of the flesh. Suffer 
them not to minister to sickness nor sin, but to 
health and holiness. Let not my body be oppress- 
ed with surfeiting and drunkenness, nor my soul 
debased by sensuality and vice. Enable me by 
thy grace to bring the flesh into subjection to the 
spirit, that neither my table may be a snare unto 
me nor my food a temptation or disease, but grant 
that I may watch over my appetites with so much 
caution and prudence, as to indulge them with 
moderation and thankfulness, and that in the 
sense of thy mercies and the strength of thy re- 
freshments, thy temporal blessings may only be 
an occasion of promoting my everlasting salva- 
tion ; through the merits and satisfaction of my 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. 

A penitential Litany. 

O FATHER of mercies and God of all conso- 
lation, who hast sent thy Son to redeem us 
from the bondage of iniquity, and to save us from 
thy wrath and everlasting damnation; have mercy 
upon thy rebellious and perishing children. 



B1ANUAL OF DEVOTION. 23 

O blessed Saviour, who in compassion to our 
weakness didst take our nature upon thee and 
give thyself a sacrifice for our sins ; have mercy 
upon me, once miserable and lost, but now a sor- 
rowful and returning sinner. 

Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and 
the Son, who didst come into the world to sanctify 
and teach, to illuminate and guide it ; have mer- 
cy upon me in my blindness and folly, and lead 
me into the way of holiness and truth. 

Holy, Blessed, and Glorious Trinity, three 
persons and one God; have mercy upon me a 
miserable sinner. 

Pardon God, the vanities of my childhood and 
the sins of my youth, my proneness to evil and 
my backwardness to good, my early corruption 
and my slow return to a sense of my guilt and my 
duty. 

If thou Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is 
done amiss, Lord, who may abide it ? 

O God of mercy, pardon my want of restraint 
over my appetites and passions, my unwillingness 
to learn my duty and my aversion to practice it, my 
wickedness in admitting so readily and cherishing 
so fondly the first insinuations of sin, my delight in 
vain thoughts, my pleasure in evil remembrances, 
and my glorying in my shame. 

Cast me not away from thy presence, and take 
not thy Holy Spirit from me. 



24 the sailors' and soldiers' 

God of mercy, pardon my foolish imagina- 
tions and my voluptuous desires, my wicked de- 
vices and my evil deeds, my secret delight in what 
thou hast forbidden, and my weariness and disgust 
in what thou hast wisely and mercifully enjoined. 

Turn thy face from my sins Lord, and put 
out all my misdeeds. 

O God of mercy, pardon the unnumbered omis- 
sions of my duty, my neglect in searching the 
scriptures and the infrequency of my prayers, my 
listless manner of attending to them when statedly 
performed, and my secret rejoicing when forced to 
omit them, the wandering of my mind, and the 
coldness of my heart in the public services of 
thy sanctuary, my deadness of faith and dulness of 
spirit in the reading and preaching of thy holy word. 

Put me not to rebuke Lord, neither chasten 
me in thy heavy displeasure. 

God of mercy, pardon all the sins of my 
proud and prejudiced understanding, my wilful 
ignorance of the way of salvation and sinful ne- 
glect of the means of grace, the weakness and 
imperfection of my faith and the inconsistency 
and wavering of my unstable life, my distrust of 
thy power and goodness and my vain reliance on 
superstitious fancies and wandering dreams, my 
confidence and presumption in the time of ease 
and security, and my fear and trembling in the 
season of temptation and trial. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 25 

O Lord, in thee alone may I put my trust : let 
me never be confounded. 

God of mercy, pardon the unruliness of my 
affections and the irregularity and disorder of my 
sinful life, my fretfulness and impatience under 
the most trifling provocations, the hastiness of my 
temper and the fierceness of my wrath towards 
my offending brother, my strange forgetfulness of 
my offences towards thee, and stupid indifference 
to thy displeasure. 

O take away from me my iniquities, and dispose 
me to forgive even as I am graciously forgiven. 

God of mercy, pardon my impatience and 
discontent, under the trials of my lot, my secret 
murmurs and open rebellions against the dispen- 
sations of thy providence, my provocations of thee 
to anger by rushing into dangers where I was not 
called, and hardening my face against thy right- 
eous judgments, my contempt of thy mercies in 
turning thy grace into lasciviousness, despising 
thy long-suffering and goodness, and trusting 
boldly where thou hast given us no ground of 
comfort or hope. 

cleanse thou me from my secret faults, and 
keep thy servant from presumptuous sins. 

God of mercy, pardon the innumerable sins 
of my tongue, my vain conversation and common 
profaneness, my bold and presumptuous appeals 
to thee to witness the truth of what I believed to 

3 



26 the sailors' and soldiers' 

be false or knew not to be true, my irreverent use 
of thy sacred and venerable name, my provoking 
others to anger and leading them to follow my 
horrible example, my crafty and ensnaring talk to 
entice my neighbour to sin, my secret whispers or 
open detraction to undermine his character and 
bring reproach upon his name. 

Father I have sinned before thee and against 
men, and am no more worthy to be called thy 
son. 

OGod of mercy, pardon all my rebellion against 
thee, and against thy representatives my lawful 
superiors who have the command over me, my 
want of respect for their station, my disobedience 
of their commands, my murmurs and repinings 
against their authority, my neglect of their per- 
sons and desires, my publication of their faults, 
my rejoicing in their infirmities, and whatsoever 
is irreverent or perverse, unjust or uncharitable 
towards my betters. 

Lord teach me obedience and submission, not 
only for wrath, but for conscience sake. 

O God of mercy, pardon all my cruel thoughts, 
my provoking words and injurious actions ; cleanse 
my hands from violence and my heart from blood- 
guiltiness ; forgive my breach of promise to men 
and of my holy vows to thee my God. 

Hide thy face Lord, from my sins and blot out 
all my transgressions. Correct me but with judg- 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 27 

merit, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to 
nothing. give me the comfort of thy help 
again, and stablish me with thy free Spirit; that 
the remainder of my days maybe passed in right- 
eousness and peace, and eternity be spent in thy 
glory and praise. Amen. 

For humility. 

O BLESSED Jesus, who in thy life and death 
hast set before us a perfect pattern of humili- 
ty, enable me by thy grace to imitate thy conde- 
scension, that I may not by my pride lose the hap- 
piness which thy humility hath purchased for me. 
Make me sensible of my folly and weakness, my 
baseness and ingratitude by reason of my sins, 
which render me contemptible in thy sight. Let 
the thoughts of my vileness cover me with shame 
and confusion, check my vain and aspiring 
thoughts, and wean me from too fond an opinion 
of myself. To thee be the glory of all the good I 
enjoy ; for from thee I received it. To thee be 
the glory of all the good I think or do; for it is 
thy grace which enables me both to will and to 
do according to thy good pleasure. let me 
never purchase the praise of men by mean flat- 
tery and sinful compliances, nor listen to their 
applause with too great delight; but make me 
humble in my thoughts of myself and patient un- 
der reproaches and indignities, because I know I 



28 the sailors' and soldiers' 

deserve them, and because thou who wast without 
sin didst not disdain to suffer them for my sake. 
Grant this blessed Jesus, who with the Father 
and the Holy Spirit, ever livest and reignest one 
God, world without end. Amen. 

For obedience to Commanders on Land or at Sea. 

O ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of truth and 
holiness, in whom to believe is life eternal ; 
let thy grace descend with power into my soul, 
beating down every strong hold, and bringing 
every proud thought and vain imagination of my 
heart into the obedience of Christ. Let me imi- 
tate the example of thy blessed Son, that as it 
was his meat and drink to do thy will, so also I may 
fulfil it with cheerfulness and humility; resting 
satisfied with the wisdom of thy laws, and submit- 
ting with patience to the dispensations of th)^ pro- 
vidence. Let thy Holy Spirit rule and sanctify 
every power and member both of my body and 
soul, that they may keep that beauteous order 
which in our creation thou didst intend and estab- 
lish, and to which thou dost restore thy people in 
the renovation of grace ; and let all my affections 
and faculties be devoted to thy service. 

And may the love which I show in obeying thee 
make me dutiful and obedient to my superiors also, 
upon whom with thine own hand thou hast stamp- 
ed the image of thy authority. Take from me all 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 29 

frowardness and turbulence of spirit, all restless 
ambition and obstinate self-will, that I may never 
despise their persons, nor disregard their com- 
mands, nor choose my own work, nor murmur at 
their burthens. May I be lowly in my views and 
moderate in my desires, and resigned to the will 
of those whom thou hast set over me ; and since 
all thy creatures obey thy word, grant that I alone 
may not disorder the creation, nor destroy the 
links of subordination which connect us with those 
whom thou hast raised above us, and bind us all 
to the foot of thy throne. 

Bless the persons under whom thou hast more 
immediately placed me with thy especial favour, 
and crown them with continual honour. Grant 
them a long, prosperous, and religious command 
over the people committed to their charge, and 
grant us a quiet, humble, and obedient subjection 
to their will; that they ruling us prudently and in 
the fear of the Lord, we may obey them loyally 
with all lowliness and cheerfulness of mind, and 
that both we and they evermore endeavouring to 
set forth the beauty of thy Church militant here 
on earth, may be at last exalted to the glory of 
thy Church triumphant in the heavens, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

3* 



30 the sailors' and soldiers' 



Another for the same. 

O ETERNAL God, great Ruler of men and 
angels, who hast constituted all things in a 
wonderful order, making all thy creatures subject 
to man, and one man to another, and all to Thee, 
the last link of this chain being fastened to the 
foot of thy throne ; teach me to obey all those 
whom thou hast set over me, reverencing their 
persons, submitting indiscriminately to all their 
lawful commands, and cheerfully undergoing the 
burthens which their wisdom or the public neces- 
sity may at any time impose upon me. 

Let me never murmur against their authority, 
lest the spirit of pride and mutiny, of disorder and 
misrule, should enter within me and consign me 
to the portion of the disobedient and rebellious, of 
the despisers of dominion, and revilers of dignity, 
whom thou shalt cast from thy presence. Grant 
this O God, for the sake of Him who for his obe- 
dience to thee hath been exalted far above all 
principality and power for ever and ever, thy Son 
our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen* 



A prayer by a Commander for himself and others. 

MOST holy and blessed Saviour, who for our 
sake didst descend from the glories of heaven 
to the labours and sufferings of this miserable 



o 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 31 

world, who didst pass from a painful life to an 
ignominious death, from the bitterness of death to 
the darkness of the grave, and by thy divine pow- 
er didst raise thyself again from the dead in order 
that we might be exalted to life everlasting ; I 
give thee thanks for thine infinite love to me and 
all mankind, I acknowledge thee to be my Lord 
and my God, I adore thy majesty and rejoice in 
thy mercy, and I will praise and magnify thee for 
ever and ever. Give me grace I humbly beseech 
thee, to believe all thy doctrines and to obey all 
thy commandments, that after a holy and religious 
life spent in doing honour to thy holy name, I 
may be made a partaker of thy glorious ressurrec- 
tion ; passing from death to life, from the darkness 
of the grave to the light of heaven, from the 
frailty and error of this mortal state to the perfec- 
tion of holiness and the fulness of joy in thy ever- 
lasting kingdom. And since thou, who wert 
blessed for ever, didst stoop down from thy throne 
and humble thyself even to the death of the 
Cross ; grant that I may never be lifted up with 
arrogance and pride, but bearing constantly in 
mind thine unspeakable humility and mine own 
unworthiness, I may be always disposed to conde- 
scend to men of low estate. Make me to know 
that though clothed with authority, I am neverthe- 
less encompassed with infirmity, and that with 
power to determine the punishment of wrong do- 



32 the sailors' and soldiers' 

ing, I am still liable to error in judgment. Give 
thy servant then an understanding heart, that I 
may discern rightly between good and evil, and 
while I exercise discipline with firmness, enable 
me also to remember mercy. Cause me to walk 
before thee in truth and righteousness, that I may 
not regard the person of the mighty and be afraid 
of his power, nor despise the person of the poor, 
and reject his petition ; but that doing justice to 
all men and showing consideration and kindness, 
I may receive mercy from thee, and love, duty, 
and service from those who are under my care ; 
through thy merits Lord, who with the Father 
and the Holy Ghost, ever livest and reignest one 
God, world without end. Amen. 

A prayer to be used by Officers with their troops or Commanders 
with their Crews. 

O ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, the High 
and mighty Ruler of the universe, who dost 
govern all things both in heaven and earth ; look 
down with mercy upon these thy servants who are 
placed under my authority, and committed to my 
charge. Sanctify them with thy grace, preserve 
them by thy providence, guard them from all the 
evils to which they are exposed, direct them in 
the ways of peace and righteousness by the aid 
and guidance of thy Holy Spirit, make them par- 
takers of all thy blessings and graces in this world, 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 33 

and fit them for the glory and enjoyment of that 
which is to come. Be Thou the light of their 
minds, that they may understand their duty — 
their counsel in all their doubts — their strength 
against all temptations — their wisdom — to direct 
and govern them in all that belongs to the state 
of life in which thy providence has placed them. 
Give Lord, thy blessing unto thy word, that 
they may read and hear it with meek hearts and 
due reverence, receive it with pure affection, and 
bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. May it become 
effectual to the conversion and salvation of those 
who are still in their sins, and confirm and 
strengthen those who have already forsaken them. 
May its dreadful threatenings and judgments 
arouse the ungodly to repentance, and its gracious 
promises quicken their obedience. Cause them 
God, rightly to understand and constantly to walk 
in the way of thy commandments, and lead them 
to life everlasting. 

Almighty God, who hast set me in a place of 
authority and made me a guide to others, suffer me 
not to go astray myself. Grant that I may never 
follow the inclinations of corrupted nature nor 
govern myself according to the maxims of an evil 
world, but give me the spirit and character of a 
true disciple of thy Son Christ Jesus. 

Holy Spirit of grace, sanctify my heart that 
no base or impure thoughts, no low or covetous 



34 the sailors' and soldiers' 

affections may lodge there. Govern my tongue 
that no corrupt communications may proceed out 
of my mouth. Guard my eyes, purify my hands, 
guide my feet. Conduct my whole life, that by 
all the instances and proofs of a good example I 
may lead the people committed to my care in the 
ways of righteousness and truth, and that no irre- 
gularity in my life and conversation may be a 
cause of grief or offence to others. 

Blessed Jesus the Prince of peace and God of 
love, make me an instrument of peace and good 
will among those over whom I am placed ; that 
by thy gracious assistance I may root out all strife 
and variance, all hatred and malice, all ungodli- 
ness and vice, and that we may live together in 
quietness and love. 

Bless God the discipline of this (ship) portion 
of the army entrusted to my hands, and make it 
effectual to the correction of the restless and tur- 
bulent, and to the encouragement of them that do 
well. Assist me by thy Good Spirit to apply a 
proper cure to every disorder, that I may reprove 
with firmness and authority and yet without bitter- 
ness, censure with equity, and punish with com- 
passion. 

Pass by and pardon Lord, the imperfections 
and sins of which any of us may have been guilty, 
and give us grace to consider that by thy merciful 
goodness we are blessed with the comforts of 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 35 

which we are unworthy, and delivered from the 
evils which we have most justly deserved. 

May we all gratefully acknowledge thy love to 
us, may we meditate on thy tender mercies, may 
we magnify and adore the ways of thy providence, 
according to thy wonted goodness Lord, pre- 
serve us for the time to come. May the same 
watchful providence which has heretofore defend- 
ed us from innumerable dangers, guard and pro- 
tect us through the remainder of our days, and 
may we so pass the waves of this troublesome 
world, that we may finally come to the land of 
everlasting life, there to reign with Thee, world 
without end ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy 
name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on 
earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily 
bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 
those who trespass against us, and lead us not into 
temptation but deliver us from evil ; for thine is 
the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for 
ever and ever. Amen. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, 
be with us all evermore. Amen. 



36 THE sailors' 



Another for the Same in Time of Peace. 

OLORD God of Hosts, who rulest in the armies 
of heaven and among the inhabitants of the 
earth, we humbly beseech thee so to conduct and 
defend this army (fleet or ship) by thy watchful 
providence and mighty power, that whatever it 
may undertake for the protection of thy people, 
may be prosperous and blessed. Direct and lead 
us all in security and peace, grant wisdom and 
counsel to thy servant the Commander, resolution 
and firmness to my officers, and a hearty good 
will and cheerful obedience to all who are subject 
to our control. If in the pursuit of our lawful ob- 
jects we are brought unexpectedly into action, 
give us prudence and courage and bless the battle 
with success. But if it be thy gracious will 
Lord, preserve us from this painful necessity, and 
grant us the opportunity of effecting the purposes 
of Justice and Peace without bloodshed and mise- 
ry. Guard us from contagious diseases, from the 
violence of enemies, and from sudden death ; from 
evil accidents or crafty designs ; from treachery 
within or surprise without; from carelessness in 
our duty, from confusion and fear, from restless- 
ness and disorder, from mutiny and crime. Give 
us a happy and honourable return to our station 
and friends, that the country may be blessed by 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 37 

our services, and we thy servants may rejoice 
in thy mercies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

A Prayer in time of War and Tumults. 

O ALMIGHTY God, the supreme Governor of 
all things, whose power no creature is able to 
resist, to whom it belongeth justly to punish sin- 
ners, and to be merciful to those who truly repent; 
save and deliver us, we humbly beseech thee, 
from the hands of our enemies; that we, being 
armed with thy defence, may be preserved ever- 
more from all perils, to glorify thee, who art the 
only giver of all victory, through the merits of thy 
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

A Prayer in time of War. 

OMOST mighty Lord God, who reignest over 
all the kingdoms and nations of men, who 
hast power to cast down and raise up, to save thy 
servants and rebuke their enemies, and in all ages 
hast given victory to thy people, effecting with a 
few by thine aid what cannot be done by the mul- 
titude of an host ; let thine ears be now opened to 
our prayers and thine eyes to our danger and trou- 
ble. Lord judge our cause in righteousness and 
mercy, strengthen our efforts, and prosper our 
arms. Establish us in our rights and guard us 
against all injury and wrong. Let neither cru- 

4 



38 

elty nor ambition, the lust of empire nor thirst of 
blood, the greediness of spoil nor the pleasures of 
victory, make us either to love war or to neglect 
the ways of peace. And grant unto the Army (or 
Navy) such humanity and justice, that none who 
belong to it may do any act unbecoming the disci- 
ples and servants of the Prince of peace. Bless 
them God, in all their lawful actions and neces- 
sary measures of self-defence, that they may 
neither do nor suffer wrong. Let not the unjust 
desires nor mischievous imaginations of our ene- 
mies prosper, lest we become a scorn and derision 
to our oppressors. And since the race is not to 
the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but only to 
those who put their trust in thy name ; be thou 
our strength and defence, our safeguard and deli- 
verance in the day of trouble. Look down upon 
us Lord from thy holy sanctuary, and stretch 
forth thine hand and help us. Cover our heads in 
the day of battle, send thy fear before thy servants, 
and let our enemies be scattered. Make us valiant 
in combat and put to flight the armies of the 
aliens ; that thus seeing thy favour in the defeat 
of our enemies, we may ascribe to thee alone all 
the glory and honour of our triumph, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 39 

Another Prayer in time of War. 

O ETERNAL God, who by thy glorious wis- 
wisdom, by thy almighty power, and secret 
providence dost determine the issues of human 
counsels, the events of war and the returns of 
victory and peace ; let the light of thy counte- 
nance and the blessed influence of thy mercy be 
once more shed upon this afflicted land. Pity the 
evils which we suffer under the power and tyranny 
of war, and although we acknowledge thy Jus- 
tice in our sufferings and adore thee in thy Judg- 
ments, yet we beseech thee to hearken to our 
complaints and to provide a remedy for our calami- 
ties. Let not the defenders of a righteous cause 
go away ashamed, nor their counsels be brought to 
nought. Look with compassion upon our infirmi- 
ties and remember not our sins, but support us 
with thy staff, lift us up with thy hand, and re- 
fresh us with thy presence. And if a threatening 
cloud should still overshadow us, open unto us the 
window of heaven, that with the eye of faith and 
hope we may see beyond it ; catching a glimpse 
of those mercies which in thy secret providence 
and adorable wisdom, thou mayest still vouchsafe 
to thy unworthy servants amidst such sad and in- 
auspicious beginnings. Teach us diligently to do 
our duty and cheerfully to submit to thy will, and 
as we have put our whole trust in thy mercy and 



40 THE SAILORS' 

laid up all our hopes in thy bosom, let us never 
be confounded. Place a guard of angels Lord 
about the Commander in chief , and uphold him 
with the defence of thy right hand, that no un- 
hallowed arm may do violence to him. Support 
him in all his dangers and trials, and give him the 
hearts of his people. Bless all his friends and 
confederates, direct their counsels, approve their 
actions, unite their hearts, and strengthen their 
hands. Sanctify the means and instruments which 
they may employ for their purposes, that they 
may not proceed with cruelty, injustice, or op- 
pression towards the accomplishment even of their 
lawful desires, and crown all their endeavours with 
prosperity and success. Give safety and honour 
to our rulers, and security and peace to thy peo- 
ple, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Prayers to be used before Battle. 

OMOST powerful and glorious Lord God, the 
Lord of hosts, that rulest and commandest 
all things ; thou sittest on the throne judging 
right, and therefore we make our address to thy 
Divine Majesty, in this our necessity, that thou 
wouldest take the cause into thine own hand and 
judge between us and our enemies. Stir up thy 
strength Lord, and come and help us ; for thou 
give st not alway the battle to the strong, but canst 
save by many or by few. O let not our sins now 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 41 

cry against us for vengeance ; but hear us thy 
poor servants begging mercy and imploring thy 
help, and that thou wouldest be a defence unto us 
against the face of the enemy : Make it appear 
that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Lord be merciful to us sinners, and save us for 
thy mercies sake. 

Thou art the great God who hast made and 
rulest all things; deliver us for thy name's 
sake. 

Thou art the great God to be feared above all : 
O save us that we may praise thee. 

Thou, Lord art just and powerful ; defend 
our cause against the face of the enemy. 

God thou art a strong tower of defence to all 
who fly unto thee ; save us from the violence 
of the enemy. 

Lord of Hosts, fight for us ; that we may 
glorify thee. 

suffer us not to sink under the weight of our 
sins, or the violence of the enemy. 

Lord arise, help us, and deliver us for thy 
name's sake. 

Thanksgiving after Victory. 

IF the Lord had not been on our side, now may 
we say ; if the Lord himself had not been on 
our side when men rose up against us; 



42 the sailors' and soldiers' 

They had swallowed us up quick when they 
were so wrathfully displeased at us. 

Yea, the waters had drowned us, and the stream 
had gone over our soul : the deep waters of the 
proud had gone over our soul. But praised be the 
Lord who hath not given us over as a prey unto 
them. 

The Lord hath wrought a mighty salvation for us. 

We got not this by our own sword, neither was 
it our own arm that saved us ; but thy right hand 
and thine arm and the light of countenance be- 
cause thou hadst a favour unto us. 

The Lord hath appeared for us ; the Lord hath 
covered our heads and made us to stand in the 
day of battle. 

The Lord hath appeared far us ; the Lord hath 
overthrown our enemies and dashed in pieces 
those that rose up against us. 

Therefore not unto us Lord, not unto us ; but 
unto thy name be given the glory. 

The Lord hath done great things for us ; the 
Lord hath done great things for us, for which we 
rejoice. 

Our help standeth in the name of the Lord who 
hath made heaven and earth. 

Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time 
forth for evermore. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to 
the Holy Ghost. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 43 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever 
shall be, world without end. Amen. 

ALMIGHTY God, the sovereign Commander 
of all the world, in whose hand is power and might, 
which none is able to withstand; we bless and 
magnify thy great and glorious name for this hap- 
py victory the whole glory whereof we do ascribe 
to thee who art the only giver of victory. And 
we beseech thee give us grace to improve this 
great mercy to thy glory, the advancement of thy 
Gospel, the honour of our country and as much as 
in us lieth to the good of all mankind. And we 
beseech thee, give us such a sense of thy great 
mercy as may engage us to a true thankfulness, 
such as may appear in our lives, by an humble, 
holy, and obedient walking before thee all our 
days, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; to whom 
with thee and the Holy Spirit, as for all thy mer- 
cies, so in particular for this victory and deliver- 
ance, be all glory and honour world without end. 
Amen. 

A Thanksgiving for Peace, and Deliverance from our Enemies. 

O ALMIGHTY God, who art a strong tower of 
defence unto thy servants against the face of 
their enemies; we yield thee praise and thanks- 
giving, for our deliverance from those great and 
apparent dangers wherewith we were compassed; 



44 THE sailors' 

we acknowledge it thy goodness that we were not 
delivered over as a prey unto them ; beseeching 
thee still to continue such thy mercies toward us, 
that all the world may know that thou art our 
Saviour and mighty Deliverer, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

A Thanksgiving for restoring Public Peace at Home. 

O ETERNAL God, our heavenly Father, who 
alone makest men to be of one mind in a 
house, and stillest the outrage of a violent and 
unruly people ; we bless thy holy name, that it 
hath pleased thee to appease the seditious tumults 
which have been lately raised up amongst us ; 
most humbly beseeching thee to grant to all of us 
grace, that we may henceforth obediently walk in 
thy holy commandments ; and, leading a quiet 
and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, 
may continually offer unto thee our sacrifice of 
praise and thanksgiving for these thy mercies to- 
ward us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

A Prayer to be used by an Officer on Court Martial when 
Sentence of Death may be passed. 

O ALMIGHTY God by whom kings reign and 
princes decree justice, and by whom all the 
powers that be, in their several degrees are ordain- 
ed and confirmed for the welfare of thy creatures, 
look graciously upon thy servant in the painful 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 45 

act of authority which he may soon be called upon 
to discharge. Lord, I am but an infirm man 
and liable to err in the judgment which I may 
form. Give me then an understanding heart, that 
I may be enabled to discern between good and evil, 
and more especially to determine rightly in the 
solemn case which is now before me. Let no 
vindictive sense of insulted authority, let no un- 
worthy fear of personal danger, nor callous indif- 
ference to the life of the meanest of thy creatures 
have the slightest influence on the decision to 
w r hich I may come. But while on these accounts 
alone thou givest me grace to shun severity, yet 
Lord, suffer no unmanly weakness nor false com- 
passion to shake my firmness in the discharge of 
my duty. Let a due regard for the maintenance 
of authority and the execution of the laws pre- 
vail over the mere impulses of feeling. Let me 
so minister discipline as to remember mercy, but 
not be so indulgent as to be too remiss; and when 
I shall have acted in thy faith and fear, then, whe- 
ther the sentence be for life or for death, enable 
me to dismiss all disquietude from my own mind 
and all concern for the opinions of others. Grant 
this Lord for the sake of my Advocate and Re- 
deemer Jesus Christ. Amen. 



46 the sailors' and soldiers' 



Prayers to be used by a Man under Sentence of Death. 

OHOLY Jesus, who of thine infinite goodness 
didst accept the conversion of a sinner on 
the cross ; open thine eye of mercy upon me thy 
servant, who now desire pardon and forgiveness, 
though in my latest hour I turn unto thee. Renew 
in me whatsoever hath been decayed by the fraud 
and malice of the devil or by my own carnal will 
and frailness. Consider my contrition ; accept 
my repentance ; and forasmuch as I put my full 
trust only in thy mercy, impute not unto me my 
former sins, but strengthen me with thy blessed 
Spirit; and when thou art pleased to take me 
hence, take me unto thy favour: This I beg 
through thy merits, Lord our Saviour and Re- 
deemer. Amen. 

FATHER of mercies and God of all comfort; 
I thy unworthy servant who am now under the 
sentence of condemnation, fly unto thee for suc- 
cour. The day of my calamity is at hand, and I 
am accounted as one of those who go down into 
the pit. 

Blessed Lord remember thy mercies ; look upon 
my infirmities; hear the voice of my complaint; 
give me I beseech thee patience in this my time 
of adversity, and support under the terrors which 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 47 

encompass me; set before my eyes the things 
I have done in the body which have justly 
provoked thee to anger; and forasmuch as my 
continuance here appeareth to be short, quicken 
me so much the more by thy grace and Holy 
Spirit; that I being converted and reconciled unto 
thee before thy Judgments have cut me off from 
the earth, may at the hour of my death depart in 
peace, and be received into thine everlasting king- 
dom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

O GOD who declarest thy Almighty power 
chiefly in showing mercy and pity; I beseech thee 
to have mercy upon me thy unworthy servant, 
who for my transgressions am appointed to die. 
Grant that I may take thy judgments patiently, 
and repent me truly of my sins ; that I recovering 
thy favour, the fearful reward of my actions may 
end with this life ; and whensoever my soul shall 
depart from the body, it may be without spot pre- 
sented unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy cross and 
precious blood hast redeemed us, save me, and 
help me I humbly beseech thee, O Lord. 

In the midst of life we are in death : of whom 
may we seek for succour, but of thee, Lord, who 
for our sins art justly displeased? Yet O Lord 



48 the sailors' and soldiers' 

God most holy, Lord most mighty, Holy and 
most merciful Saviour, deliver me not into the 
bitter pains of eternal death. Thou knowest, 
Lord, the secrets of my heart : Shut not thy mer- 
ciful ears to my prayers; but spare me Lord most 
holy, O God most mighty, Holy and merciful 
Saviour, thou most worthy judge eternal, suffer me 
not at my last hour for any pains of death to fall 
from thee. 

The Almighty God who is a most strong tower 
to all those who put their trust in him ; to whom 
all things in heaven, in earth and under the earth 
do bow and obey; be now and evermore my de- 
fence, and make me know and feel that there is 
none other name under heaven given to man, in 
whom and through whom I may receive salvation 
but only in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 

UNTO God's gracious mercy and protection I 
commit myself: The Lord bless me, and keep 
me : The Lord make his face to shine upon me 
and be gracious unto me : The Lord lift up his 
countenance upon me, and give me peace both 
now and evermore. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 49 



A Prayer for a person going to Sea. 

O ETERNAL God, who alone spreadest out 
the heavens and rulest the raging of the sea, 
I commend myself to thy almighty protection on 
the great deep. Guard me I beseech thee, from 
the dangers of the sea, from sickness, from the 
violence of enemies, and from every evil to which 
I may be exposed. Conduct me in safety to the 
haven where I would be, with a grateful sense 
of thy mercies, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

Another for a person either before a March or going to Sea. 

O ALMIGHTY God, who fillest all things with 
thy presence and art a God afar off as well 
as near at hand, who didst send thy Angel to 
bless Jacob in his journey, and didst lead the chil- 
dren of Israel through the Red Sea, making it a 
wall on the right hand and on the left ; let thy pre- 
sence I beseech thee go with me in my journey, 
(voyage) and be thou my guide and my guard, 
my light and defence. Preserve me from thieves 
and robbers, (pirates) from the violence of ene- 
mies, from quarrels and bloodshed with compan- 
ions and friends, from evil accidents and from 
sudden death. Prosper my journey (voyage) to 

5 



50 the sailors' and soldiers' 

thy glory and all my innocent and lawful pur- 
poses. Protect and deliver me from the assaults 
of temptation and the snares of sin, that I may 
return to my home in peace and holiness with 
thy favour and blessing ; and grant that I may 
serve thee in thankfulness and obedience all the 
days of my pilgrimage on earth, and bring me at 
last to that better country, the heavenly Jerusa- 
lem, where I may dwell with thee in perpetual 
rest and felicity, through my Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 

X Thanksgiving for a Safe Return from Sea. 

MOST gracious Lord, whose mercy is over all 
thy works, and who hast been pleased to 
conduct in safety thy unworthy servant through 
the perils of the great deep ; accept I beseech 
thee, for this manifestation of thy love, the un- 
feigned offering of my gratitude and praise. May 
I be duly sensible of thy merciful providence to- 
wards me, and ever express my thankfulness by 
a holy trust in thee, and obedience to thy laws, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

After a Journey or Voyage. 

ALMIGHTY God, who savest my life from de- 
struction and crownest me with mercy and 
loving kindness, blessed be thy holy name that 
thou hast brought me in safety to the end of my 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 51 

journey, (voyage) and preserved me from the 
innumerable accidents and dangers to which I 
was exposed. It is of thy mercy that I have 
been kept in life and health, notwithstanding 
the pestilence that walketh in darkness and the 
arrow that flieth by noonday. It is of thy watch- 
ful providence that I have been defended from 
the assaults and violence of wicked men, and of 
thy free and unmerited grace that I have been 
delivered from the snares and temptations of the 
devil and the flesh. Lord enable me to rejoice 
and triumph in thy praise, and not only to ex- 
press my thanks with my lips but to show forth 
my grateful sense of thy mercies in my life, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

An Office of Prayer to be used at Sea. 

OUR Father who art in heaven, hallowed be 
thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be 
done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day 
our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as 
we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead 
us not into temptation but deliver us from evil ; 
for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the 
glory, for ever and ever. Amen. 

God make speed to save us. 

O Lord make haste to help us. 

Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his 
help, and whose hope is in the Lord his God : 



52 THE sailors' and soldiers' 

Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all 
that therein is. 

The Lord is great, and cannot worthily be 
praised: 

His dominion is from one sea to the other, and 
from the flood unto the world's end. 

Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit, or 
whither shall I go from thy presence 7 

If I climb up into heaven thou art there, If I go 
down to hell thou art there also. 

If I take the wings of the morning and remain 
in the uttermost parts of the sea : 

Even there also shall thy hand lead me, and 
thy right hand shall hold me. 

Lord God of hosts, who is like unto thee ; 
thy truth most mighty Lord is on every side. 

Thou rulest the raging of the sea ; thou stillest 
the waves thereof when they arise. 

Thou shalt show us wonderful things in thy 
righteousness God of our salvation, thou that 
art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of 
them that remain in the broad sea. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to 
the Holy Ghost. 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever 
shall be, world without end. Amen. 

O Almighty God and heavenly Father, who 
rulest the raging of the sea and settest bounds to 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 53 

its power, saying hitherto shalt thou come, but no 
further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed; 
look graciously upon us thy servants, who in the 
midst of continual dangers both by day and by 
night dwell, as it were, in the shadow of death. 
We know and confess Lord, that the storms of 
passion do frequently overtake us, and that we 
are overwhelmed in the floods of ungodliness. 
Our oaths and blasphemies are liercer than the 
winds, and call aloud to thee for vengeance upon 
us. But God, deal not with us according to our 
sins, neither reward us according to our iniquities. 
Still the tumult and disorder of our unruly wills 
and affections, speak peace to our troubled minds, 
give us rest and pardon, and comfort and joy in 
the Holy Ghost. 

Defend and deliver us Lord from all perils 
both of body and soul. Keep us from the fury of 
storm and tempest, and from the horrors of ship- 
wreck ; from the violence of open enemies and 
from the craft and cruelty of pirates ; from sick- 
ness, accidents, and death. Let our voyage be 
safe and prosperous, that returning to our homes 
with thy favour and blessing, we may glorify thee 
here in the land of the living, and finally continue 
thy praise for ever and ever in thy heavenly king- 
dom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 



54* the sailors' and soldiers' 



To be said, especially in a Storm, or Danger of Pirates or 
Shipwreck. 

THE Lord is King ; ever since the world began 
hath thy seat been prepared : Thou art from 
everlasting. The floods are risen Lord, the 
floods have lift up their voice, the floods lift up 
their waves. 

The waves of the sea are mighty and rage 
horribly, but the Lord that dwelleth on high is 
mightier. 

Art not Thou, He, which hath dried the sea, the 
waters of the great deep ; that hath made the 
depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass 
over? 

Thou art the God that doest wonders, and hast 
declared thy power among the people. 

Thou hast mightily delivered thy people, even 
the sons of Jacob and Joseph. 

Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in the 
great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. 

Therefore I will cry unto God with my voice, 
even unto God will I cry with my voice, and he 
shall hearken unto me. 

Let not the water flood drown me, neither let 
the deep swallow me up. 

Hear me Lord for thy loving-kindness is com- 
fortable. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 55 

Who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, 
fearful in praises, doing wonders ? 

O hide not thy face from thy servants, for our 
souls are full of trouble and our life draweth nigh 
unto the grave. O let our prayer enter into thy 
presence, incline thine ear unto our calling. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to 
the Holy Ghost. 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever 
shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Holy and blessed Saviour, who in the days 
when thou wert manifest in the flesh, didst com- 
mand the winds and rebuke the seas and they 
obeyed thee ; and who now that thou art exalted 
far above all principalities and powers, hast en- 
couraged us to come boldly to thy throne, that we 
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time 
of need ; look down with pity and compassion 
upon thy servants in the depth of our misery and 
trouble. Speak peace unto our conscience,* and 
(command our enemies to be in peace with us, or 
to have no power against us ; restrain their vio- 
lence and keep them from outrage, plunder, and 
blood :) rebuke the winds and the storm that they 
may be still. Thou art a present help in time of 
trouble ; be now then our security and refuge, and 
deliver us from the dangers with which we are 

* To be used when chased by pirates. 



56 THE sailors' 

threatened. Consider our cries and hearken unto 
our prayers. Our flesh and our heart faileth, but 
be thou the strength of our heart and our portion 
for ever. In thee have we trusted let us never be 
confounded; but be thou our protector and guide, 
a star in the night and covering by day. Strength- 
en our faith God, and increase our hope, that in 
the greatest danger we may ever hope against 
hope, and look with confidence for the salvation 
of the Lord. May thy goodness rescue us from 
our present fear, defend us in all difficulties and 
dangers, sanctify every accident which may befall 
us, and cause every event of thy providence to 
work together for our good. And grant Lord, 
that being thus blessed with the mercies of 
which we are unworthy, and delivered from the 
evils which we have most justly deserved, we 
may pass from the enjoyment of thy favour here, 
to the glory and bliss of thy redeemed in heaven, 
through the merits of thine own most precious 
blood ; to whom Lord with the Father and the 
Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory world with- 
out end. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 57 



O 



FORMS 

OF 

PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA. 

(FROM THE LITURGY.) 

The two following Prayers to be used in Ships of War. 
ETERNAL Lord God, who alone spreadest 



out the heavens, and rulest the raging of the 
sea; who hast compassed the waters with bounds, 
until day and night come to an end ; be pleased 
to receive into thy Almighty and most gracious 
protection, the persons of us thy servants, and the 
fleet (or ship) in which we serve. Preserve us 
from the dangers of the sea, and from the vio- 
lence of the enemy; that we may be a safeguard 
unto the United States of America, and a security 
for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful oc- 
casions ; that the inhabitants of our land may in 
peace and quietness serve thee our God ; and that 
we may return in safety to enjoy the blessings of 
the land, with the fruits of our labour; and, with 
a thankful remembrance of thy mercies, to praise 
and glorify thy holy name, through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Jlrnen. 



58 the sailors' and soldiers' 

DIRECT us, OLord, in all our doings, with thy 
most gracious favour, and further us with thy con- 
tinual help ; that in all our works begui}, contin- 
ued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy 
name ; and finally, by thy mercy obtain everlast- 
ing life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Prayers to be used in Storms at Sea. 

OMOST powerful and glorious Lord God, at 
whose command the winds blow, and lift up 
the waves of the sea, and who stillest the rage 
thereof; we, thy creatures, but miserable sinners, 
do in this our great distress cry unto thee for help : 
Save, Lord, or else we perish. We confess when 
we have been safe, and seen all things quiet about 
us, we have forgotten thee our God, and refused 
to hearken to the still voice of thy word, and to 
obey thy commandments : but now we see how 
terrible thou art in all thy works of wonder ; the 
great God to be feared above all; and therefore we 
adore thy divine majesty, acknowledging thy 
power, and imploring thy goodness. Help, Lord, 
and save us for thy mercies' sake, in Jesus Christ, 
thy Son our Lord. Amen. 

MOST glorious and gracious Lord God, who 
dwellest in heaven, but beholdest all things be- 
low; look down, we beseech thee, and hear us, 
calling out of the depth of misery, and out of the 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 59 

jaws of this death, which is now ready to swallow 
us up : Save, Lord, or else we perish. The liv- 
ing, the living shall praise thee. send thy 
word of command to rebuke the raging winds, 
and the roaring sea; that we, being delivered 
from this distress, may live to serve thee, and to 
glorify thy name all the days of our life. Hear, 
Lord, and save us, for the infinite merits of our 
blessed Saviour, thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, 
Amen. 

The Prayer to be said before a Fight at Sea against any 
Enemy. 

OMOST powerful and glorious Lord God, the 
Lord of hosts, that rulest and commandest all 
things ; thou sittest in the throne judging right : 
and therefore we make our address to thy divine 
majesty, in this our necessity, that thou wouldest 
take the cause into thine own hand, and judge 
between us and our enemies. Stir up thy strength, 
O Lord, and come and help us; for thou givest not 
alway the battle to the strong, but canst save by 
many or by few. let not our sins now cry 
against us for vengeance ; but hear us thy poor 
servants begging mercy, and imploring thy help, 
and that thou wouldest be a defence unto us 
against the face of the enemy : make it appear 
that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 



60 the sailors' and soldiers' 



Short Prayers for Single Persons, who cannot meet to join in prayer 
with others, by reason of the Fight or Storm. 

General Prayers. 

LORD be merciful to us sinners, and save us 
for thy mercies' sake. 
Thou art the great God, who hast made and 
rulest all things : deliver us for thy name's sake. 
Thou art the great God to be feared above all : 
save us, that we may praise thee. 

Special Prayers with respect to the Enemy. 

THOU, O Lord, art just and powerful: O de- 
fend our cause against the face of the enemy. 

God, thou art a strong tower of defence to all 
who fly unto thee : save us from the violence 
of the enemy. 

O Lord of Hosts, fight for us ; that we may 
glorify thee. 

O suffer us not to sink under the weight of our 
sins, or the violence of the enemy. 

Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us, for thy 
name's sake. 

Short Prayers in respect of a Storm. 

THOU, Lord, who stillest the raging of the 
sea, hear, hear us, and save us, that we per- 
ish not. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 61 

blessed Saviour, who didst save thy disciples 
ready to perish in a storm : hear us, and save us, 
we beseech thee. 

Lord, have mercy upon us. 

Christ, have mercy upon us. 

Lord, have mercy upon us. 

Lord, hear us. 

O Christ, hear us. 

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy 
Ghost, have mercy upon us, save us now and 
evermore. Amen* 

OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be 
thy Name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be 
done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day 
our daily bread ; And forgive us our trespasses, as 
we forgive those who trespass against us; And 
lead us not into temptation ; But deliver us from 
evil. Amen. 

When there shall be imminent danger, as many as can be spared 
from necessary service in the ship shall be called together, and 
make an humble Confession of their sins to God: in which every 
one ought seriously to reflect upon those particular sins, of which 
his conscience shall accuse him ; saying as followeth: — 

The Confession. 

ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men ; 
we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and 
wickedness, which we from time to time most 

6 



62 THE sailors' 

grievously have committed, by thought, word, and 
deed, against thy divine majesty, provoking most 
justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We 
do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for 
these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is 
grievous unto us; the burden of them is intolera- 
ble. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, 
most merciful Father: for thy Son our Lord Jesus 
Christ's sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant 
that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee 
in newness of life, to the honour and glory of thy 
name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Then shall the Priest, if there be any in the Ship, say, 

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who, 
of his great mercy, hath promised forgive- 
ness of sins to all those who with hearty repent- 
ance and true faith turn unto him ; have mercy 
upon you ; pardon and deliver you from all your 
sins ; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, 
and bring you to everlasting life, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 



Thanksgiving after a Storm. 
Psalm 66. Jubilate Deo. 
BE joyful in God, all ye lands ; sing praises 
unto the honour of his name ; make his praise 
to be glorious. 

Say unto God, how wonderful art thou in thy 



o 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 63 

works ; through the greatness of thy power shall 
thine enemies be found liars unto thee. 

For all the world shall worship thee, sing of 
thee, and praise thy name. 

come hither, and behold the works of God ; 
how wonderful he is in his doings toward the chil- 
dren of men ! 

He ruleth with his power for ever; his eyes be- 
hold the people ; and such as will not believe, 
shall not be able to exalt themselves. 

praise our God, ye people, and make the 
voice of his praise to be heard ; 

Who holdeth our soul in life ; and sufTereth not 
our feet to slip. 

For thou, God, hast proved us ; thou also hast 
tried us, like as silver is tried. 

Thou broughtest us into the snare ; and laidest 
trouble upon our loins. 

1 will go into thine house with burnt-offerings ; 
and will pay thee my vows which I promised with 
my lips, and spake with my mouth, when I was 
in trouble. 

come hither, and hearken, all ye that fear 
God ; and I will tell you what he hath done for 
my soul. 

1 called unto him with my mouth ; and gave 
him praises with my tongue. 

If I incline unto wickedness with mine heart, 
the Lord will not hear me. 



64t THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS' 

But God hath heard me ; and considered the 
voice of my prayer. 

Praised be God, who hath not cast out my 
prayer, nor turned his mercy from me. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to 
the Holy Ghost. 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever 
shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Psalm 107. Conjitemini Domino. 

OTHAT men would praise the Lord for his 
goodness ; and declare the wonders that he 
doeth for the children of men ! 

That they would offer unto him the sacrifice of 
thanksgiving ; and tell out his works with glad- 
ness! 

They that go down to the sea in ships ; and 
occupy their business in great waters ; 

These men see the works of the Lord, and his 
wonders in the deep. 

For at his word, the stormy wind ariseth; which 
lifteth up the waves thereof. 

They are carried up to the heaven, and down 
again to the deep ; their soul melteth away be- 
cause of the trouble. 

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunk- 
en man ; and are at their wit's end. 

So when they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, 
he delivereth them out of their distress. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 65 

For he maketh the storm to cease, so that the 
waves thereof are still. 

Then are they glad, because they are at rest ; 
and so he bringeth them unto the haven where 
they would be. 

that men would therefore praise the Lord for 
his goodness ; and declare the wonders that he 
doeth for the children of men ! 

That they would exalt him also in the congre- 
gation of the people ; and praise him in the seat 
of the elders ! 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to 
the Holy Ghost. 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever 
shall be, world without end. Amen, 

Collects of Thanksgiving. 

OMOST blessed and glorious Lord God, who 
art of infinite goodness and mercy; we, thy 
poor creatures, whom thou hast made and pre- 
served, holding our souls in life, and now rescuing 
us out of the jaws of death, humbly present our- 
selves again before thy divine majesty, to offer a 
sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for that thou 
heardest us when we called in our trouble, and 
didst not cast out our prayer, which we made be- 
fore thee in our great distress ; even when we gave 
all for lost, our ship, our goods, our lives, then 
didst thou mercifully look upon us, and wonder- 

6* 



66 THE sailors' 

fully command a deliverance ; for which we now, 
being in safety, do give all praise and glory to 
thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

O MOST mighty and gracious good God, thy 
mercy is overall thy works, but in special manner 
hath been extended towards us, whom thou hast 
so powerfully and wonderfully defended. Thou 
hast showed us terrible things, and wonders in the 
deep, that we might see how powerful and gra- 
cious a God thou art ; how able and ready to help 
those who trust in thee. Thou hast showed us 
how both winds and seas obey thy command ; that 
we may learn even from them hereafter to obey 
thy voice, and to do thy will. We therefore bless 
and glorify thy name, for this thy mercy, in sav- 
ing us when we w T ere ready to perish. And, we 
beseech thee, make us as truly sensible now of thy 
mercy, as we were then of the danger ; and give 
us hearts always ready to express our thankful- 
ness not only by words, but also by our lives, in 
being more obedient to thy holy commandments. 
Continue, we beseech thee, this thy goodness to 
us; that we, whom thou hast saved, may serve 
thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of 
our life, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Sa- 
viour. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 67 



A Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving after a Dangerous 
Tempest. 

OCOME, let us give thanks unto the Lord, for 
he is gracious; and his mercy endureth for 
ever. 

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised : 
let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he 
hath delivered from the merciless rage of the sea. 

The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion ; 
slow to anger, and of great mercy. 

He hath not dealt with us according to our sins; 
neither rewarded us according to our iniquities. 

But as the heaven is high above the earth ; so 
great hath been his mercy towards us. 

We found trouble and heaviness ; we were even 
at death's door. 

The waters of the sea had well nigh covered us ; 
the proud waters had well nigh gone over our soul. 

The sea roared ; and the stormy wind lifted up 
the waves thereof. 

We were carried up as it were to heaven, and 
then down again into the deep ; our soul melted 
within us, because of trouble. 

Then cried we unto thee, Lord; and thou 
didst deliver us out of our distress. 

Blessed be thy name, who didst not despise the 
prayer of thy servants ; but didst hear our cry, and 
hast saved us. 



68 the sailors' and soldiers' 

Thou didst send forth thy commandment ; and 
the windy storm ceased, and was turned into a 
calm. 

O let us therefore praise the Lord for his good- 
ness ; and declare the wonders that he hath done, 
and still doeth, for the children of men! 

Praised be the Lord daily ; even the Lord that 
helpeth us, and poureth his benefits upon us. 

He is our God, even the God of whom cometh 
salvation: God is the Lord, by whom we have 
escaped death. 

Thou, Lord, hast made us glad through the 
operation of thy hands; and we will triumph in 
thy praise. 

Blessed be the Lord God ; even the Lord God, 
who only doeth wondrous things ; 

And blessed be the name of his majesty for 
ever ; and let every one of us say, Amen, Amen. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to 
the Holy Ghost. 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever 
shall be, world without end. Amen. 

A Psalm or Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving after Victory. 

IF the Lord had not been on our side, now may 
we say; if the Lord himself had not been on 
our side, when men rose up against us ; 

They had swallowed us up quick, when they 
were so wrathfully displeased at us. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 69 

Yea, the waters had drowned us, and the stream 
had gone over our soul ; the deep waters of the 
proud had gone over our soul. 

But praised be the Lord, who hath not given us 
over as a prey unto them. 

The Lord hath wrought a mighty salvation for us. 

We got not this by our own sword, neither was 
it our own arm that saved us ; but thy right hand, 
and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, 
because thou hadst a favour unto us. 

The Lord hath appeared for us; the Lord hath 
covered our heads, and made us to stand in the 
day of battle. 

The Lord hath appeared for us; the Lord hath 
overthrown our enemies, and dashed in pieces 
those that rose up against us. 

Therefore not unto us, Lord, not unto us ; 
but unto thy name be given the glory. 

The Lord hath done great things for us ; the 
Lord hath done great things for us, for which we 
rejoice. 

Our help standeth in the name of the Lord, 
who hath made heaven and earth. 

Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this 
time forth for evermore. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to 
the Holy Ghost. 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever 
shall be, world without end. Amen. 



70 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS* 



Te Deum laudamus. 



WE praise thee, God; we acknowledge thee 
to be the Lord. 

All the earth doth worship thee, the Father 
everlasting. 

To thee all Angels cry aloud ; the Heavens, and 
all the Powers therein. 

To thee, Cherubim and Seraphim continually 
do cry, 

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. 

Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy 
glory. 

The glorious company of the Apostles praise 
thee. 

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise 
thee. 

The noble army of Martyrs praise thee. 

The holy Church, throughout all the world, 
doth acknowledge thee, 

The Father of an infinite majesty ; 

Thine adorable, true, and only Son; 

Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. 

Thou art the King of Glory, Christ. 

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. 

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, 
thou didst humble thyself to be born of a virgin. 

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 71 

death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to 
all believers. 

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the 
glory of the Father. 

We believe that thou shaltcome, to be our Judge. 

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, 
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. 

Make them to be numbered with thy saints, in 
glory everlasting. 

Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heri- 
tage. 

Govern them, and lift them up for ever. 

Day by day we magnify thee ; 

And we worship thy name ever, world without 
end. 

Vouchsafe, Lord, to keep us this day without 
sm. 

Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon 
us. 

Lord, let thy mercy be upon us, as our trust 
is in thee. 

O Lord, in thee have I trusted ; let me never be 
confounded. 

ALMIGHTY God, the sovereign commander 
of all the world, in whose hand is power and 
might, which none is able to withstand ; we bless 
and magnify thy great and glorious name for this 
happy victory, the whole glory whereof we do 



72 THE sailors' 

ascribe to thee, who art the only giver of victory. 
And we beseech thee, give us grace to improve this 
great mercy to thy glory, the advancement of thy 
Gospel, the honour of our country, and, as much 
as in us lieth, to the good of all mankind. And 
we beseech thee, give us such a sense of this great 
mercy-, as may engage us to a true thankfulness, 
such as may appear in our lives, by an humble, 
holy, and obedient walking before thee all our 
days, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; to whom, 
with thee, and the Holy Spirit, as for all thy mer- 
cies, so in particular for this victory and deliver- 
ance, be all glory and honour world without end. 
Amen. 

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, 
be with us all evermore. Amen. 

At the Burial of the dead at sea, when the Office in the 
Common Prayer Book is used ; only instead of these 
words, "We therefore commit his body to the ground, 
earth to earth," &c. say, " We therefore commit his 
body to the deep, to be turned into corruption, looking 
for the resurrection of the body when the sea shall 
give up her dead, and the life of the world to come, 
through our Lord Jesus Christ ; who at his coming 
shall change our vile body, that it may be like his 
glorious body, according to the might}' working 
whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself." 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 73 

A Prayer for Sunday Morning, 

OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be 
thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be 
done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day 
our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as 
we forgive those who trespass against us, and 
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from 
evil ; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and 
the glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

O GOD, who at the beginning didst graciously 
appoint the Sabbath unto man as a day of rest 
from his weariness and toil, and also as a sign of 
thy goodness and power in the creation of the 
world, and afterwards didst translate it to the first 
day of the week as a memorial of the highest act 
of thy mercy, in the resurrection of thy Son Jesus 
Christ from the dead ; grant that I may always 
observe it according to thy blessed design, making 
it as far as I am able a season of repose from all 
worldly labour, and spending it devoutly in thy 
service and praise. May the Holy Ghost, who on 
the first day of the week did descend in miracu- 
lous gifts and graces on the apostles, come down 
on me thine unworthy servant, that I may be 
always in the spirit on the Lord's day! May his 
blessed inspirations enlighten and assist me in all 
its religious duties and services both in the secrecy 

7 



74* THE sailors' 

of my closet and in the great congregation ; that 
my wandering thoughts may be fixed on heavenly 
things, my tumultuous desires and passions com- 
posed, my cold and languid affections quickened 
and inflamed with holy hope and seraphic love ! 
In entering thy courts give me an attentive ear 
and an humble mind, that I may offer up my 
prayers with fervour and my praises with joy, and 
hearken to thy word with reverence and fear. But 
my God, merciful and gracious, my soul groans 
under the load of its infirmities. When my spirit is 
willing my flesh is weak. My understanding is fee- 
ble and imperfect, my will wayward and perverse, 
my fancy wild and unfixed, my affections wander 
after strange objects, and all my senses minister 
to vanity and folly. Pity me then my God, in- 
cline thine ear unto me when I pray, and enable 
me to pray acceptably. Make me not only a hear- 
er of thy word, but a doer also, that keeping faith 
and a good conscience I may live in all godliness, 
honesty, and sobriety before thee and my fellow- 
men ; that thus passing thy holy day in the man- 
ner which thou didst design in its appointment, I 
may never defeat its gracious purposes, but that it 
may be, in my observance of it, an emblem of that 
heavenly sabbath which will still continue when 
time itself shall be no more. Grant this for the 
sake of thy Son, my risen Lord and victorious 
Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jlmen. 

THE grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, &c. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 75 

A Prayer for Sunday Evening. 
OUR Father, who art in heaven, &c. 

O ALMIGHTY God, who hast established the 
heavens and the earth in a wonderful order, 
making day and night to succeed each other for 
our comfort and refreshment 5 I cast myself in all 
humility before thy divine Majesty, begging of 
thee mercy and protection both this night and 
ever. 

Lord, pardon all my sins, my vain thoughts, 
my light and rash words, my unlawful desires and 
ungodly deeds. But more especially I beseech 
thee, to pardon the imperfections of my services 
this day either in the secrecy of the closet, or in 
the worship of thy courts. Mercifully receive the 
prayers which I have offered unto thee, have com- 
passion on my infirmities, forgive the dulness of 
my spirit, the coldness of my affections, and all 
the carelessness and indevotion of my wandering 
mind. Sanctify to me the means of grace, and 
let them never by my blindness and un worthiness 
be made of none effect. 

O let me not fall into the way of hearing thy 
word without profit, nor of drawing near to thee 
with my lips while my heart is far from thee. 
Quicken my soul which cleaveth to the dust, 
spiritualize my groveling affections, and touch my 



76 THE sailors' 

lips as it were with a coal from the altar ; that my 
prayers and praises rising to heaven like the in- 
cense, may be an acceptable offering in thy sight; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

O GOD of infinite mercy, who hast compassion 
on all men and relievest the necessities of all who 
call on thee for help \ hear the prayers of thy ser- 
vant, who though unworthy to ask any thing for 
himself, yet in humility and duty is bound to pray 
for others. 

O let thy mercy descend upon thy Church uni- 
versal. Preserve her in truth and peace, in unity 
and safety, amidst storms and troubles and against 
all temptations and trials ; that offering to thy 
glory the never-ceasing sacrifice of prayer and 
thanksgiving, she may advance the honour of her 
Lord, be filled with his Spirit, and made a par- 
taker of his everlasting glory. 

In mercy remember the President of these 
United States. Preserve his person in health and 
honour, support him in his just and lawful author- 
ity, bless the country committed to his charge 
with peace and plenty, keep him perpetually in 
thy fear and favour, and crown him with glory 
and immortality in the world to come. 

Remember them that minister in holy things. 
Let them be clothed with righteousness, and tho- 
roughly instructed in the word of truth. Grant 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 77 

to them zeal for the salvation of men, wisdom to 
conduct their several charges, and purity to be- 
come examples to their flocks ; that both by their 
labours and their lives they may promote the 
honour of thy kingdom, and that being burning 
and shining lights we may rejoice in their light 
and glorify Thee our Father in heaven. 

Remember all to whom I am bound by their 
benefits or prayers, returning their kindness dou- 
bly into their own bosoms and rewarding them 
with eternal glory. Grant this O Lord, for the 
sake of our Advocate and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 

AND as I pray unto Thee God for myself 
and others, so I praise and bless thy holy name 
for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to me 
and to all men. I give Thee hearty thanks for 
my preservation the day past, and all the other 
blessings of this life ; but above all for thine ines- 
timable love in the redemption of the world by 
the death and passion of our Saviour Christ, who 
did humble himself, even to the death upon the 
cross for us miserable sinners who lay in darkness 
and in the shadow of death, that he might make 
us the children of God and exalt us to everlasting 
life. teach me to express my thankfulness, by 
submitting myself entirely to thy holy will and 
pleasure, and by studying to serve thee in true 

7* 



78 the sailors' and soldiers' 

holiness and righteousness all the days of my life. 
Accept Lord) of these my prayers and praises, 
through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ 
my blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. 

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c* 

A Morning Prayer. 
OUR Father, who art in heaven, &c. 

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, I thine 
unworthy servant do give thee most humble 
and hearty thanks, for all thy goodness and loving 
kindness to me. Blessed be thy name for creat- 
ing me out of nothing, for bestowing upon me a 
healthful body and sound mind, for giving me a 
being from honest parents and in a Christian land, 
and for receiving me by adoption into thy holy 
Church, where thy true religion is purely taught 
and thy sacraments rightly and duly administered. 
Blessed be thy name for all the known, oi unob- 
served deliverances and favours, which in thy 
watchful providence and fatherly care, thou hast 
hitherto bestowed upon me through the whole 
course of my life. I thank thee Lord, that not- 
withstanding the errors and ignorances, the vices 
and vanities of my youth, and the follies and 
faults of my riper years, thou hast still dealt mer- 
cifully with me ; that thou didst not cut me off in 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 79 

the beginning of my days and the progress of my 
sins; that thou didst give me time to repent and 
amend my life ; that thou didst restore unto me 
the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy 
free Spirit. Good Lord, forgive me the great waste 
of my precious time in the days and years which 
are already past, and the many opportunities of 
doing good which I have irrecoverably lost, and 
grant me grace that for the time to come I may 
be truly wise, that I may consider my latter end, 
and work out my salvation with fear and trem- 
bling ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

An Evening Prayer. 
OUR Father^ who art in heaven^ &c* 

LET my prayer Lord, be set forth in thy 
sight as the incense, and let the lifting up of 
my hands be as an evening sacrifice. Let my 
heart be filled with gratitude for thy mercies, and 
my tongue break forth with praise. Lord God, 
what shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits? 
Thou art my Creator and my Father y my Guardian 
and Protector. Through Thee have I been hold- 
en up ever since I was bom. Thou hast fed me 
and clothed me, given me friends and blessed 
them, granted me many days of health and hap- 
piness, free from the sickness and sorrows with 
which many of thy faithful servants and saints 



80 the sailors' and soldiers' 

have been afflicted and grieved. And in the days 
of darkness, thou hast refreshed me in my sor- 
rows and comforted me in my distress. And 
though I have broken thy righteous laws, indulg- 
ed in vanity and folly, and been dead in trespasses 
and sins ; yet thou didst pity me in my miseries, 
thou didst awaken me to repentance, and wouldst 
not suffer me to perish in my guilt. Impress me 
O Lord, with such a deep sense of my obligations 
to thee for life and health, for grace and salvation, 
that religion may be my delight as well as my 
duty. bountiful Lord and Master, who hast pro- 
vided for all my wants and necessities to this day, 
grant that no anxious thoughts and fears for the 
future, and no spirit of infidelity may ever tempt 
me to distrust thy providence or to better and se- 
cure my condition by any unworthy means ; nor 
let any doubt of thy goodness keep me back from 
thy throne of grace, whenever I shall stand in 
need of thy mercy and help. But that I may serve 
thee Lord with a quiet mind, forgive me those 
things whereof my conscience is afraid, and turn 
from me the judgments which I have most justly 
deserved. Remember not the offences of my youth 
and in mercy blot out those of my riper years. 
Pardon my sins of the day past and of my life 
past, and grant that they may never rise up in 
judgment against me. Give me a dread of the 
weakness and treachery of my own heart, and 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 81 

make me sensible that without thee the frailty of 
man cannot but fall ; that in all my temptations I 
may fly unto thee for succour, and in all my dan- 
gers I may find help and deliverance. God, the 
Preserver and Defender of all who put their trust 
in thee, take me, my family, my relations, bene- 
factors and friends, I beseech thee, under thy 
gracious protection ; give thy holy angels charge 
concerning us, preserve us from the prince and 
powers of darkness, and from the dangers of the 
night, and keep us in perpetual peace and safety, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c. 

Another Morning Prayer. 
OUR Father, who art in Heaven, &c. 

OLORD God, the Creator and Preserver of all 
mankind, blessed be thy name that thou hast 
brought me safely to the beginning of another 
day, and that I am yet of the number of those 
who have time and space for repentance. Make 
me truly sensible of this mercy, and give me 
grace to consider how short and how uncertain my 
time is ; that there is one day more of a transitory 
life passed over my head, and that I am so much 
nearer eternity. Grant that I may in good ear- 



82 the sailors' and soldiers' 

nest think of another life, and be so prepared for 
it, as that death may not overtake me unawares. 

Lord pardon all my misspent time, and make 
me more diligent and careful to redeem it for the 
future ; that when I come to the end of my days 
I may look back with comfort on those which are 
past. Grant that I may begin this day with new 
resolutions of serving thee more faithfully, and if 
through negligence or infirmity I forget these good 
purposes, awaken me I beseech thee, to a sense 
of my danger. My heart is in thy hands God, 
as well as my time. make me wise unto salva- 
tion, that I may consider in this my day the things, 
that belong unto my peace, and that truly repent- 
ing of the errors of my life past, my sins may 
be forgiven and my pardon sealed in heaven be- 
fore I go hence and be no more seen. 

Grant God, that amidst all the difficulties and 
discouragements, the dangers and trials, the dis- 
tress and darkness of this mortal life, I may de~ 
pend upon thy mercy and help, and never sink 
down into gloominess and despair. Give me O 
Lord, the eyes of faith, that I may see the world 
just as it is, the vanity of its promises, the folly 
of its pleasures, the unprofitableness of its rewards, 
the multitude of its snares and the danger of its 
temptations ; and enable me to rise above it and 
to crucify it with its affections and lusts. Perfect 
God, the good work which thou hast begun in 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 83 

me, and let me feel the effects of thy grace in the 
constancy of my devotions, in the care for my 
soul, in the faithful discharge of my duty, and in 
all those acts of righteousness, and piety, and 
charity, which I owe to thee and my fellow-men ; 
that I may pass the time of my sojourning here in 
the comfortable hope of a blessed eternity, and 
may at last be found worthy of a part in the resur- 
rection of the just, through my Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Another Evening Prayer. 
OUR Father, who art in heaven, &c. 

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, I thy 
unworthy servant, come before thee in all 
lowliness and humility, beseeching thee to look 
down upon me with pity and compassion, and to 
pardon my manifold transgressions of thy right- 
eous laws. Forgive me Lord, the sins of my 
youth and the sins of my age, the sins of my soul 
and the sins of my body, the secret sins which I 
have striven to hide from others, and the presump- 
tuous sins which I have boldly committed in the 
face of the world. It is of thy mercies Lord, 
that I am not consumed. In my creation, my 
preservation, and the innumerable blessings of this 
life, and above all in my redemption from sin and 
eternal death by the precious blood of thy dear 



84 

Son; thou hast shown such unspeakable love to- 
wards me, as calls for my unceasing obedience, 
gratitude, and praise. And yet Lord, I have 
disregarded my baptismal promises, I have violated 
the vows which I have so often renewed, I have 
yielded my soul to the service of the world, the 
flesh, and the devil, which I had solemnly re- 
nounced, and despised the riches of thy good- 
ness, forbearance, and long-suffering, as if I had 
not known that thy goodness should have led me 
to repentance. But now, Lord, that thou hast 
awakened me to a deep sense of my guilt, enable 
me I beseech thee to sin no more. And since I 
am not mine, being bought with a price, but 
thine, therefore claim me as thy right, keep me 
as thy charge, and love me as thy child. Protect 
me when I am assaulted by my spiritual foes, 
heal me when I am wounded, and revive me when 
I am about to faint and fall. And daily increase 
in me the manifold gifts of grace, that I may walk 
in the ways of truth and righteousness and con- 
tinue thine for ever, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen, 

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 85 



A Prayer to be used by a Person in behalf of absent Relatives 
and Friends. 

OGOD the protector of all that trust in thee, 
grant to thy servant, my partner in life, 
health of body and cheerfulness of spirit. Defend 
and guard her in my absence with thy tender- 
est care ; let thy blessing be upon her head, 
night and day ; support her in all her necessities, 
strengthen her in all her temptations, comfort her 
in all her sorrows, guide her in all the changes 
and chances of this mortal life, and make us both 
to rejoice in the light of thy countenance for ever 
and ever. 

Bless my children with healthful bodies and 
sound minds, with sweet dispositions and holy 
habits, and with all the gifts and graces of thy 
spirit. Keep them in simplicity, purity, and in- 
nocence. Guard them against the craft and sub- 
tilty of the devil, the influence of evil example 
and the deceitfulness and corruption of their own 
hearts. And so rule and govern their conduct in 
early life as to prevent the follies of their child- 
hood from growing up to sins in their youth ; and 
the sins of their youth from being confirmed into 
habits in manhood; and so deliver them in then- 
weakness, their ignorance and temptations, and 
guide them in the way of thy commandments that 
that they may continue thine for ever. 

8 



86 THE sailors' 

Look down with mercy Lord on my parents 
in the troubles and trials of this miserable world. 
As the years draw nigh when they shall have no 
pleasure in them, when their strength shall be 
labour and sorrow, and their flesh and their heart 
shall fail ; be thou the strength of their heart 
and their portion for ever. During the few and 
evil days of their wearisome pilgrimage let thy 
rod and thy staff support and comfort them; and 
the more the outward man decayeth and the 
world fadeth from their sight, strengthen them so 
much the more continually with thy grace and 
Holy Spirit in the inner man. Enable them to 
realize the truth of thy promises, and fill them 
with the hopes and consolations of thy gospel, 
that they may be at all times ready for their de- 
parture ; and whenever thou art pleased to take 
them hence, fulfil their joy in the bliss and glory 
of thy heavenly kingdom. 

Bless also my brothers and sisters, and all my 
relatives and friends. Thou knowest all their 
joys and their sorrows, their hopes and their fears; 
the number of their sins and the measure of their 
repentance. O grant them the grace which is 
sufficient for them according to their several neces- 
sities, and bless them with purity of heart, with 
righteousness of life, and with peace and joy in 
the Holy Ghost ; all which I ask through the merits 
and mediation of my Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 87 

A Prayer before the Communion. 

O BLESSED Jesus, my gracious Saviour and 
Redeemer, King of kings and Lord of lords, 
whom the Angels look upon with wonder and 
worship with the deepest adoration ; what am I 
O Lord, that thou shouldest deign to dwell with 
me who am nothing but folly and infirmity, misery 
and sin, shame and death. 

I confess Lord, when I consider thy purity 
and my uncleanness, thy glory and my shame, I 
tremble to approach thy presence and to partake 
of the memorials of thy body and blood. But 
though my sins have made a separation between 
me and my God, thy love and thy passion, thy 
holiness and obedience, have reconciled me to 
Him whom I have so grievously offended. 
Blessed Saviour who for our sakes didst take upon 
thee our affections and passions, our weaknesses 
and sufferings, who wert hungry after the tempta- 
tion of the devil, weary and thirsty in thy dis- 
course with the woman of Samaria, who didst 
weep over Lazarus, wert exceeding sorrowful in 
the garden, and pouredst out thy soul unto death 
for the transgressors, and who didst thus become 
unto us a merciful high priest touched with a feel- 
ing of our infirmities; receive I beseech thee, thy 
unworthy servant, weary and heavy laden with 
his sins, accused by his own conscience, and pol- 



88 the sailors' and soldiers' 

luted both in body and soul. I know that a thou- 
sand years of sorrow, the humiliation of the great- 
est penitent, the love of saints, and the purity of 
Angels, are not sufficient to make me worthy that 
thou shouldest enter under my roof, and that I 
should be strengthened and refreshed with thy 
body and blood. 

But what I cannot be of myself, do thou gra- 
ciously make me. I come unto thee wounded 
with my transgressions, for thou art my physician ; 
arise then with healing in thy wings. Thirsty 
and faint, as the hart longeth after the water 
brooks, so longeth my soul after thee God, the 
eternal fountain, whence spring the waters of 
comfort and salvation* Heal my diseases, wash 
out my stains, and cleanse me from all pollution 
of flesh and spirit. Blessed Jesus, may this 
holy sacrament which is a memorial of thy death, 
be unto me a savour of life. May it purify my 
heart, strengthen my faith, enliven my hope, and 
increase my charity ; that being united with thee 
in the closest bonds on earth, I may finally be a 
partaker of thy glory and bliss in the kingdom 
of heaven, where thou livest and reignest with 
the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God 
world without end. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 89 

A Thanksgiving after Communion. 

MOST merciful and gracious God, who hast 
sent thy only begotten Son into the world to 
destroy the works of the devil, to redeem us from 
all iniquity, and to deliver us from the bitter pains 
of eternal death; I humbly beseech thee, to sanc- 
tify and bless to me the memorials of the body and 
blood of thy dear Son, which I have this day re- 
ceived, and to make me a fit habitation for his 
holy presence both now and for evermore. 

Blessed Saviour, I adore the secrets of thy 
wisdom and the depths of thy mercy, in the awful 
mystery of my salvation. Grant that in the re- 
membrance of thine unspeakable love I may show 
forth my thankfulness, by conforming myself to 
thy likeness in all things, in the imitation of thy 
actions, in the fellowship of thy sufferings, in the 
communion of thy graces, and the participation 
of thy glories; that beginning here to praise thy 
name for thy mercies, I may magnify and adore 
thee hereafter for ever and ever. 

Lamb of God, holy and spotless, who for our 
sakes wert pleased to endure shame and sorrow, 
to be brought before the tribunal of thy creatures 
whom thou shalt judge at the last day, to be ma- 
liciously accused, treacherously betrayed, unjustly 
condemned, suffering the severest torments which 
malice could devise or cruelty inflict; enable me 

8* 



90 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDI EKs' 

to see the baseness and enormity of sin, in the 
sacrifice which thou didst make for its full and per- 
fect atonement. May I abhor and detest my sins 
which were the cause of thy sufferings, and here- 
after earnestly endeavour to shun and forsake 
them. Lord, what am I, that thou shouldest be 
wounded for my transgressions, and that with thy 
stripes I should be healed ? I am unworthy of the 
least of thy mercies, and yet thou hast shown unto 
me the greatest which man can conceive or God 
can bestow. 

Complete then thy loving kindness, and carry 
me safely through all the temptations and trials 
of this dangerous world. holy and blessed 
Jesus, who didst look upon us with compassion 
lying in our sin and misery, and in the darkness 
of the shadow of death ; who didst bear our griefs 
and carry our sorrows, that we might be partakers 
of thy felicity; let thine eyes pity me, thy hands 
support me, thy holy feet tread down all the diffi- 
culties in my way to heaven. Let me be in- 
structed with thy wisdom, moved by thy affections, 
directed by thy will, and clothed with thy right- 
eousness, that in the great day of account I may 
be found meet to partake of the inheritance of thy 
saints in light; to whom with the Father and the 
Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory world with- 
out end. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 91 



PRAYERS FOR THE SICK. 

A Prayer to be said when first taken 111. 

O MERCIFUL God and Heavenly Father, who 
givest us life, and health, and all things, and 
recallest them according to thy good pleasure ; 
grant that I may behold thy hand in everything 
that befalleth me. In all the afflictive dispensa- 
tions of thy providence, may I strive to improve 
them to thy glory and my own salvation. And 
now that sickness has taken hold of me I fly to 
thy goodness for comfort, and to thy almighty 
power for succour and relief. regard not my 
tmworthiness, nor refuse to hear me when I call 
upon thee. Give me grace to take the illness 
under which I am labouring as thy heavenly visi- 
tation, that I may both hearken to the rod and to 
him that has appointed it. May I bear thy chas- 
tisement with patience and submission, and as it 
is a scourge for my sins, let it also be a cure for 
them. May I no more return to vanity and folly, 
nor indulge in any thing which tends to thy dis- 
honour and my own destruction. And if in thy 
wisdom, thou shouldest not see fit to restore me to 
health but my sickness should be unto death ; O 
let me die the death of the righteous, and let my 
last end be like his ! And grant that I may leave 



92 THE sailors' 

the world with a stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus, 
with an unfeigned repentance for all the errors of 
my life past, with a holy indifference to all tem- 
poral things, and a cheerful resignation of my soul 
into thy hands, as into the hands of my merciful 
Creator, through the merits and mediation of my 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Another. 

O GRACIOUS and merciful God, who in thy 
justice didst send sorrow and tears, sickness 
and death into the world as a punishment for man's 
transgression, and hast concluded all under sin, 
not to destroy us, but that thou mightest have 
mercy upon all, making thy justice to minister to 
mercy and the light afflictions of this life to an 
eternal weight of glory ; as thou hast visited me 
for my sins with sickness and trouble, so make 
these trials the happy occasion of my growth in 
grace in this life and the increase of my glory in 
the world to come. And as thou hast thus called 
me to a fellowship with thy dear Son who was 
made perfect through suffering, grant that I may 
be brought nearer to him and thyself in holiness, 
purity, and love. Sanctify to me all the changing 
circumstances of my sickness, relieve my pains, 
and support me in dejection and distress. Enable 
me to behave myself with humility and sorrow, 
with submissiveness and patience, as a child un- 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 93 

der the discipline of a father, that if I shall be re- 
stored to health of body and vigour of mind, I may- 
return to the world with fresh strength for the 
race which is set before me and finish my course 
with joy \ or if I pass from hence through the gate 
of death, I may be mercifully received into the 
bosom of my Lord, to reign with him in glory and 
bliss for ever and ever. Grant this Heavenly 
Father, for the sake of our Advocate and Redeem- 
er Jesus Christ. Amen. 

A Prayer for Patience. 

RIGHTEOUS art thou Lord, in all the pains 
and sorrows which thou hast brought upon 
me for the punishment of my sins, and the trial of 
my patience. I receive my sickness with humi- 
lity as thy fatherly chastisement. Correct me 
Lord, but not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to 
nothing. Let me judged for my sins here, that I 
may have nothing but mercy without judgment 
from thine hands hereafter. I lament and bewail 
my transgressions in bitterness of soul. Accept, 
I beseech thee, my unfeigned repentance, blot out 
all my misdeeds, and refresh me with the grace 
and comfort of thy Holy Spirit. But O Lord I be- 
seech thee, not only to give me pardon for my 
offences, but strength and patience in my suffer- 
ings and trials. Support me in the weakness of 
my body, guard me in the temptations which as- 



94 THE sailors' 

sault my soul, deal out my sorrows with tender- 
ness, and turn them all to my good and comfort in 
the end. And since I rest upon thee as my rock 
and my stay, let me not sink under thy visitation 
into dejection and sadness, nor imagine my distress 
greater than I can bear. Let thy strength be 
made perfect in my weakness. Let no rebellious 
thoughts nor unholy murmurings arise within me, 
but give me a submissive and resigned, a patient 
and humble spirit whilst I live, and be my blessed 
portion when I die, through the merits and media- 
tion of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Another. 

OMOST blessed and glorious Saviour, who 
didst suffer with meekness and patience those 
stripes with which we were healed, and who hast 
made the way of the cross to be the way of hea- 
ven, enable me I beseech thee, to bear the afflic- 
tion which thou hast laid on me with a calm and 
willing mind. I know that thou art as gracious 
when thou smitest us for trial and amendment, as 
when thou relievest us in compassion to our 
infirmities. But though my spirit is willing my 
flesh is weak. Lord Jesus, I am unable of my- 
self to stand under the cross. But thou who didst 
feel the burthen of it, who didst sink under it for 
a moment but afterwards triumph over it for ever, 
making it a perpetual sign of our deliverance 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 95 

from sin and death ; fortify my spirit under the 
weight of my sufferings. Refresh me by thy grace 
when I am ready to faint and lift me up when I 
fall. Sanctify my sickness to me, support me in 
my weariness, calm me in my fears, and comfort 
me in my sorrows. Let me never in my rashness 
charge thee foolishly, nor offend thee by my im- 
patience. Let me neither secretly murmur against 
thy dispensations, nor weaken the hands and 
hearts of those who charitably minister to my 
needs. Make thou all my bed in my sickness, 
and deliver me not into the will of my enemies, 
but let me pass through this vale of misery and 
tears with a meek and quiet spirit and a grateful 
sense of thy mercies and merits blessed Lord, 
who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever 
livest and reignest one God, world without end. 
Amen. 

A Prayer for Repentance and Pardon. 

O ALMIGHTY God and most merciful Father, 
who delightest not in the death of a sin- 
ner, but rather that he should turn from his wick- 
edness and live, give unto me thy unworthy ser- 
vant a deep contrition for all my offences, and 
strength to forsake them, grace to fear thee and 
grace to love thee, power to serve thee and time 
and inclination to finish the work thou hast given 
me to do ; that being washed in the blood of 



96 the sailors' and soldiers' 

thy Son, sanctified by thy Spirit, and saved by 
thy mercy, I may here rejoice in hope, and here- 
after sing eternal praises to the honour of thy 
name, through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 

Another. 

OMOST glorious and blessed Saviour, who 
alone hast power to forgive sin, to rescue us 
from its dominion, and to deliver us from the 
wrath of God, be gracious to me a miserable of- 
fender who confess thy justice in my sufferings and 
implore thy mercy in the pardon and forgiveness 
of all my transgressions. Remember not the fol- 
lies of my childhood, nor the vanities of my 
youth, (the remissness and guilt of my riper years, 
nor my hardness of heart and contempt of thy 
word even in the infirmities of age.) Remember 
not the sins of my tongue, nor the outbreaks of my 
wrath, the unlawfulness of my desires, nor the 
wickedness of my deeds. Contend no longer with 
a miserable wretch, who acknowledges his guilty 
and earnestly begs for the remission of his sins. 
Thou hast glorified thyself in all generations of 
the world, by giving pardon to the penitent and 
ease to the afflicted, comfort to the comfortless, 
and refreshment to the weary. Behold Lord, 
the sorrows of thy servant, and do away mine 
offences. By thy manifold mercies and thine in- 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 97 

finite merits, by thine agony and bloody sweat, 
by thy strong crying and tears, by thy bitter cross 
and passion, by thy mighty resurrection, thy glo- 
rious ascension, and thy effectual intercession and 
mediation, hear me Lord, and have mercy upon 
me. And however thou shalt see fit to deal with 
me here, vouchsafe at last unto my body a part 
in the resurrection of the just, and unto my soul 
the estate of joy, happiness, and immortality with 
all thy blessed saints in thy heavenly kingdom, 
through thine own prevailing merits Lord, who 
livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy 
Ghost, one God world without end. Amen. 

For a Blessing on the Means, which may be used for Recovery. 

O FATHER of mercies and God of all conso- 
lation, our only help in time of need, I hum- 
bly beseech thee, to look upon me thy unworthy 
servant with mercy and favour, here lying under 
thy hand in great weakness of body. Lay no 
more upon me than thou wilt enable me to bear. 
Consider my weakness and proportion my trials 
to my strength, that I may endure them with pa- 
tience and resignation to thy blessed will. Hear 
my complaints and remove the cause of them, as 
shall seem to thee most expedient for me. Give 
thy blessing to the means which may be used for 
my recovery. And since thou alone canst effectu- 
ally remove my maladies, and skill, medicine, and 

9 



98 the sailors' and soldiers' 

attention are only instruments in thy hands that 
work according to thy good pleasure, speak the 
word Lord, and thy servant shall be healed. But 
if thou shouldest not see fit to hearken unto ray 
prayer, fit me for whatever in thy wise providence 
thou shalt order forme. Give me ease and com- 
fort in my sufferings, or firmness and strength when 
my heart and my flesh are ready to fail. Guide 
me with thy counsel, and after that receive me 
with glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Another. 

OMOST blessed and glorious Saviour, the 
great Physician of our souls, the sun of 
righteousness arising with healing in thy wings, 
who when thou didst appear among men went 
about doing good, and healing all manner of dis- 
ease, and to whom now that thou hast ascended 
on high all power is given both in heaven and 
earth ; look graciously upon thy servant, here 
lying in great weakness and suffering under thy 
chastening hand. let the design of thy visita- 
tion be accomplished in the sanctification of my 
soul. And if it seem good unto thee Lord, be 
pleased also to bless the ministry of thy servant 
my physician, in the means which he may use for 
the health of my body. Direct his judgment in the 
treatment of the disease, give efficacy to the medi- 
cines which he may prescribe, and so dispose all 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 99 

the changing- circumstances of my sickness, that I 
may perceive and feel the blessing and loving 
kindness of the Lord, in the relief of my pain and 
the recovery of my health ; that being restored to 
the society of the living and to the assemblies of 
the saints, I may praise thee for thy goodness 
among the faithful in the outer courts of the Lord, 
and hereafter in thy heavenly Temple for ever 
and ever. Amen. 

Upon the Appearance of Recovery. 

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom 
are the issues of life and death, who killest 
and makest alive, who bringest down to the grave 
and bringest back again ; receive the offering of 
thy humble servant, who with a grateful heart 
return unto thee my unfeigned thanks for the re- 
lief of my sufferings and the abatement of my 
disease. I praise thee for the happy consequences 
of thy seasonable correction to me, in putting me 
in mind of my. frailty and mortality, in weaning 
my affections from this vain and transitory world, 
and in exciting me to a more diligent preparation 
for that which is to come. Blessed be thy name 
that thou didst not cut me off immediately with- 
out warning in the midst of my sins, but that thou 
hast now in appearance allowed me a longer 
space for reflection and repentance, and hast 
given me hopes of bringing my holy resolutions 



100 the sailors' and soldiers' 

to good effect. May it seem good in thy sight 
Lord, to perfect the recovery which thou hast be- 
gun in me, and to grant me a longer continuance 
on earth, not for the gratification of my worldly 
inclinations and sensual desires, but that I may 
redeem the time Avhicbi I have hitherto misspent, 
that I may pass the residue of my days in thy love 
and fear, and more effectually advance thy honour 
and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Thanksgiving for the Beginning of a Recovery from Sickness. 

GREAT and mighty God, who bringest down 
to the grave, and bringest up again ; I bless 
thy wonderful goodness for having turned my 
heaviness into joy, and my mourning into glad- 
ness, by restoring me to some degree of my former 
health. Blessed be thy name, that thou didst not 
forsake me in my sickness ; but didst visit me 
with comforts from above ; didst support me in 
patience and submission to thy will ; and, at last 
didst send me seasonable relief. Perfect I be- 
seech thee, this thy mercy towards me and pros- 
per the means which shall be made use of for my 
cure ; that being restored to health of body, vigour 
of mind, and cheerfulness of spirit, I may be able 
to go to thine house, to offer thee an oblation with 
great gladness, and to bless thy holy name for 
all thy goodness towards me through Jesus Christ 
my Saviour, to whom with thee and the holy 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 101 

Spirit, be all honour and glory, world without 
end* Amen. 



It is very meet, right, and my bounden duty, 
that I should at all times, and in all places give 
thanks and praise, honour and adoration, love and 
duty to thee, Lord, the Father of mercies and 
God of all comfort, w r ho hast known my soul in 
adversity and delivered me from the evils which 
I most justly have deserved. I confess, God, 
that I am less than the least of all thy mercies ; 
but thy unbounded love rejoices in doing me good, 
and in preserving me from evil. Thou art gra- 
cious even when thou smitest me ; but I cannot 
express thy loving kindness to me, when thou sus- 
tainest me in my sorrows, when thou hearest my 
prayers, when thou relievest my necessities, when 
thou deliverest me from thy wrath, and snatchest 
me from the power of the grave. give unto 
thy servant a thankful heart, an obedient mind, 
carefulness in my duty, zeal for thy glory, sub- 
mission to thy divine will and pleasure ; that serv- 
ing thee with all my powers, loving thee with 
all my heart and strength, obeying thee in all 
thy commandments, and delighting in thee in all 
thy dispensations, I may be conducted in safety 
through the various changes of thy providence, 
defended in the temptations of my enemies, re- 
lieved in all my necessities, assisted in all my du- 

9* 



102 THE sailors' and soldiers' 

ties; that so I may pass through this valley of tears 
in peace and quietness, in faith and charity, in the 
confidence of a holy hope, and in the strength of 
thy righteous promises, to the fruition of those mer- 
cies which are the portion of obedience, through 
the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Thanksgiving for a Recovery from Sickness. 

OGOD, who art the giver of life, of health, and 
of safety; I bless thy name, that thou hast 
been pleased to deliver me from my bodily sick- 
ness. Gracious art thou, Lord, and full of com- 
passion to the children of men. May my heart be 
duly impressed with a sense of thy merciful good- 
ness, and may I devote the residue of my days to 
an humble, holy, and obedient walking before 
thee. 

Thou, Lord, didst revoke the sentence which 
appeared to have gone out against me. Unto thee 
may I ascribe the honour and praise. May I be 
glad and rejoice in thy mercy, for thou hast con- 
sidered my trouble, and hast known my soul in 
adversity. As thou hast spread thy hand upon 
me for a covering, so also enlarge my heart with 
thankfulness and fill my mouth with praise. And 
let thy favour and loving kindness endure for ever 
and ever upon thy servant, and grant that what 
thou hast sown in mercy, may spring up in duty. 
O let thy grace so strengthen my purposes, that I 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 103 

may sin no more. Let me walk in the light of 
thy countenance and in the way of thy command- 
ments, that living here to the glory of thy name, 
I may at last enter into the glory of thy kingdom 
and spend eternity in thy praise, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

When there is no Hope of Recovery. 

OGOD, whose days are without end and whose 
mercies cannot be numbered, now that I am 
hastening to the end of my life, give me stedfast 
faith in thy Son Jesus and unfeigned repentance 
for all my sins, that my pardon may be sealed in 
heaven before I go hence and be no more seen. 
Let me come to my great change without guilt, 
and foresee its approaches without impatience or 
fear. May I always be ready with humble confi- 
dence in thy mercy for the hour of my departure. 
May I be enabled to fight the good fight of faith 
with constancy, and to finish my course with joy. 
May I never sleep in carelessness and sin, nor lie 
down in misery and sorrow. And since I am now 
summoned to meet the Bridegroom, dress me 
Lord, in a wedding garment, that I may be fit to 
appear in thy train. Give me oil in my lamp, 
that it may burn with perpetual brightness, and 
that when the door opens I may be ready to enter 
in with thee at whatever hour thou shalt come. 
Strip my soul of all earthly affections before it 



104» THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS 1 

take its flight from my body, that it may be a meet 
companion for the spirits of just men made per- 
fect in that blessed rest which thou hast reserved 
for thy chosen in paradise, and bring me finally to 
my perfect consummation and bliss both in body 
and soul in the everlasting glory of thy heavenly 
kingdom ; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 

Against the Fear of Death. 

OMOST gracious and merciful Father, grant 
that I may be always ready to obey thy sum- 
mons and be willing to depart and be with Christ, 
whenever thou shalt see fit to call me hence. 
Forgive me all my sins which are the sting of 
death, and prepare me to meet it with firmness 
and composure, and enable me to regard it as a 
happy release from all the weaknesses and sor- 
rows, the troubles and trials of this mortal life. 
Let not my spirit be broken with the apprehen- 
sions of dying under thy heavy displeasure, but 
make me to rejoice in the sense of thy pardoning 
mercy here, and the promise of thy everlasting 
favour in the world to come. And give me an 
unwavering faith and a comfortable hope in the 
full and perfect sacrifice which was made on the 
cross for the atonement of sin, and grant that I 
may pass through the grave and gate of death to 
my joyful resurrection, for his merits who died 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 105 

and was buried, and rose again for us, thy Son 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Another. 

OHOLY and eternal God, who for the sin of 
man didst send death into the world, and by 
the resurrection of thy blessed Son didst bring life 
to all believers ; have mercy upon me whom thou 
hast smitten with thy rod and brought into the 
valley of tears and the shadow of death. bless- 
ed Lord, let not this season so fearful to nature 
and so awful to the impenitent, have any terrors 
for me. Look upon me as a sinner whom thou 
hast pardoned, and as a prodigal son whom thou 
hast restored to thy favor. Take from me the 
fear, and if it be thy blessed will take from me 
also the sentence of death. Preserve my life and 
restore my health if it be best for me, for to thy 
power I submit, on thy goodness I depend, by thy 
wisdom may I be governed, and by thy love may 
I be directed in my choice. But if thou hast oth- 
erwise decreed, grant to thy servant the comfort 
of a holy hope, the strength of an unconquerable 
faith, the constancy of an immovable patience, 
and the meekness of a perfect resignation, that I 
may be able to say with the Apostle, " to me to 
live is Christ and to die is gain." Grant this 
Lord, for Jesus' sake, my Advocate and Redeem- 
er. Amen. 



106 the sailors' and soldiers' 



To be used by a Dying Person, for his Relations and Friends. 

UNTO thee God of mercy and truth, I com- 
mit all my relations and friends, and more 
especially my wife and children, to whom I am 
bound by the tenderest ties. thou who art the 
father of the fatherless and pleadest the cause of 
the widow, provide for them according to all their 
temptations and all their wants. Leave them not, 
neither forsake them God of my salvation. Be 
thou to them when I am gone, whatsoever I would 
have been and more than I could have been, had 
I been spared to them. Enable them evermore 
to love thee with all their heart, and soul, and 
strength, and to put their whole trust and confi- 
dence in thy mercy ; and keep them from all the 
pollutions and dangers of this miserable world, 
which call louder to thee for thy succour and pro- 
tection than all their wants. Train them up in 
thy fear, preserve them from all evil, and bring 
them at last to the joys and blessedness of the 
world to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Jlmen* 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 107 

THE ORDER 

FOR 

THE VISITATION OF THE SICK. 

(FROM THE LITURGY,) 

REMEMBER not. Lord, our iniquities, nor the 
iniquities of our forefathers ; Spare us, good 
Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed 
with thy most precious blood ; and be not angry 
with us for ever. 

Ans. Spare us, good Lord. 

Then the Minister shall say, 
Let us Pray. 

LORD, have mercy upon us. 

Christ, have mercy upon us. 

Lord, have mercy upon us. 

OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be 
thy Name; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be 
done on earth, as it is in heaven ; Give us this day 
our daily bread ; And forgive us our trespasses, as 
we forgive those who trespass against us ; and 
lead us not into temptation ; but deliver us from 
evil. Amen. 

Min. Lord, save thy servant ; 

Ans. Who putteth his trust in thee. 

Min. Send him help from thy holy place ; 

Ans. And evermore mightily defend him. 



108 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS* 

Min. Let the enemy have no advantage of him; 

Ans. Nor the wicked approach to hurt him. 

Min. Be unto him, Lord, a strong tower, 

Ans. From the face of his enemy. 

Min. Lord, hear our prayer ; 

Ans. And let our cry come unto thee. 

Minister. 

LORD, look down from heaven, behold, visit, 
and relieve this thy servant. Look upon him with 
the eyes of thy mercy; give him comfort and 
sure confidence in thee ; defend him from the dan- 
ger of the enemy; and keep him in perpetual 
peace and safety, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

HEAR us, Almighty and most merciful God and 
Saviour; extend thy accustomed goodness to this 
thy servant, who is grieved with sickness. Sanc- 
tify, we beseech thee, this thy fatherly correction 
to him; that the sense of his weakness may add 
strength to his faith, and seriousness to his repent- 
ance : that if it shall be thy good pleasure to re- 
store him to his former health he may lead the 
residue of his life in thy fear, and to thy glory : 
or else give him grace so to take thy visitation, 
that after this painful life ended, he may dwell 
with thee in life everlasting, through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 109 



Then shall the Minister exhort the Sick Person after this form, 
or other like : 

DEARLY beloved, know this, that Almighty 
God is the Lord of life and death, and of all 
things to them pertaining; as youth, strength, 
health, age, weakness, and sickness. Wherefore, 
whatsoever your sickness be, know you certainly 
that it is God's visitation. And for what cause 
soever this sickness be sent unto you ; whether it 
be to try your patience for the example of others, 
and that your faith may be found, in the day of 
the Lord, laudable, glorious, and honourable, to 
the increase of glory and endless felicity ; or else 
it be sent unto you to correct and amend in you 
whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly 
Father; know you certainly, that if you truly re- 
pent you of your sins, and bear your sickness pa- 
tiently, trusting in God's mercy, for his dear Son 
Jesus Christ's sake, and render unto him humble 
thanks for his fatherly visitation, submitting your- 
self wholly unto his will, it shall turn to your 
profit, and help you forward in the right way that 
leadeth unto everlasting life. 

If the Person visited be very Sick, then the Minister may end 
his Exhortation in this place, or else proceed : 

AKE therefore in good part the chastisement 
of the Lord : for, as Saint Paul saith in the 
10 



T 



110 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS' 

twelfth chapter to the Hebrews, Whom the Lord 
loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son 
whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening-, 
God dealeth with you as with sons : for what son 
is he whom the father chasteneth not ? But if ye 
be without chastisement, w T hereof all are partak- 
ers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Further- 
more, we have had fathers of our flesh, which cor- 
rected us, and we gave them reverence : shall we 
not much rather be in subjection unto the Father 
of spirits, and live ? For they verily for a few days 
chastened us after their own pleasure ; but he for 
our profit, that we might be partakers of his holi- 
ness. These words, good brother, are written in 
holy Scripture, for our comfort and instruction ; 
that we should patiently, and with thanksgiving, 
bear our heavenly Father's correction, whensoev- 
er, by any manner of adversity, it shall please his 
gracious goodness to visit us. And there should 
be no greater comfort to Christian persons, than 
to be made like unto Christ, by suffering patiently 
adversities, troubles, and sicknesses. For he him- 
self went not up to joy, but first he suffered pain : 
he entered not into his glory, before he was cruci- 
fied. So truly our way to eternal joy, is to suffer 
here with Christ ; and our door to enter into eter- 
nal life, is gladly to die with Christ ; that we may 
rise again from death, and dwell with him in ever- 
lasting life. Now, therefore, taking your sick- 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. Ill 

ness, which is thus profitable for you, patiently, I 
exhort you in the name of God, to remember the 
profession which you made unto God in your bap- 
tism. And forasmuch as after this life there is an 
account to be given unto the righteous Judge, by 
whom all must be judged, without respect of per- 
sons ; I require you to examine yourself, and your 
estate, both towards God and man ; so that, ac- 
cusing and condemning yourself for your own 
faults, you may find mercy at our heavenly Fa- 
ther's hand for Christ's sake, and not be accused 
and condemned in that fearful judgment. There- 
fore I shall rehearse to you the articles of our 
faith ; that you may know w T hether you do believe 
as a Christian man should, or no. 

Here the Minister shall rehearse the Articles of the Faith, 
saying thus : 

DOST thou believe in God the Father Almigh- 
ty, Maker of heaven and earth 1 
And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son our 
Lord 1 And that he was conceived by the Holy 
Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary ; that he suffered 
under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and 
buried ; that he went down into hell, and also did 
rise again the third day; that he ascended into 
heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the 
Father Almighty; and from thence shall come 



112 the sailors' and soldiers' 

again at the end of the world, to judge the quick 
and the dead ? 

And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost ; the 
holy catholic Church; The Communion of saints: 
The remission of sins ; The resurrection of the 
flesh ; and everlasting life after death ? 

The Sick Person shall answer, 
All this I stedfastly believe. 

Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him 
truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world ; 
exhorting him to forgive, from the bottom of his heart, 
all persons that have offended him ; and if he hath 
offended any other, to ask them forgiveness ; and 
where he hath done injury or wrong to any man, that 
he make amends to the uttermost of his power. And 
if he hath not before disposed of his goods, let him 
then be admonished to make his Will, and to declare 
his debts, what he oweth, and what is owing unto 
him, for the better discharging of his conscience, and 
the quietness of his Executors. But men should 
often be put in remembrance to take order for the set- 
tling of their temporal estates, whilst they are in 
health. 

The Exhortation before rehearsed may be said before 
the Minister begin his Prayer, as he shall see cause. 

The Minister shall not omit earnestly to move such sick 
persons as are of ability, to be liberal to the poor. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 113 

And then the Minister shall say the Collect following. 
Let us Pray. 

OMOST merciful God, who, according to the 
multitude of thy mercies, dost so put away 
the sins of those who truly repent, that thou re- 
memberest them no more ; open thine eye of 
mercy upon this thy servant, who most earnestly 
desireth pardon and forgiveness. Renew in Aim, 
most loving Father, whatsoever hath been decay- 
ed by the fraud and malice of the devil, or by his 
own carnal will and frailness ; preserve and con- 
tinue this sick member in the unity of the Church; 
consider his contrition, accept his tears, assuage 
his pain, as shall seem to thee most expedient for 
him. And forasmuch as he putteth his full trust 
only in thy mercy, impute not unto him his former 
sins, but strengthen him with thy blessed Spirit; 
and when thou art pleased to take him hence, take 
him unto thy favour, through the merits of thy 
most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

Then shall the Minister say this Psalm : 
Psalm 130. De Profundis. 

OUT of the deep have I called unto thee, 
Lord ; Lord, hear my voice. 
let thine ears consider well the voice of my 
complaint. 



114 

If thou Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is 
done amiss; Lord, who may abide it? 

For there is mercy with thee : therefore shalt 
thou be feared. 

I look for the Lord, my soul doth wait for him ; 
in his word is my trust. 

My soul fleeth unto the Lord, before the morn- 
ing watch ; I say, before the morning watch. 

Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord 
there is mercy ; and with him is plenteous redemp- 
tion. 

And he shall redeem Israel from all his sins. 

Adding this : 

O SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy cross and 
precious blood hast redeemed us ; save us, 
and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord. 



T 



Then shall the Minister say : 

HE Almighty Lord, who is a most strong 
tower to all those who put their trust in him, 
to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under 
the earth, do bow and obey, be now and evermore 
thy defence ; and make thee know and feel, that 
there is none other name under heaven given to 
man, in whom, and through whom thou mayest 
receive health and salvation, but only the name 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 115 

UNTO God's gracious mercy and protection we 
commit thee : The Lord bless thee, and keep 
thee : The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, 
and be gracious unto thee : The Lord lift up his 
countenance upon thee, and give thee peace both 
now and evermore. Amen. 

Prayers which may be said with the foregoing Service, 
or any part thereof, at the discretion of the Minister. 

A Prayer for a Sick Child. 

O ALMIGHTY God and merciful Father, to 
whom alone belong the issues of life and 
death ; look down from heaven, we humbly be- 
seech thee, with the eyes of mercy upon this 
child, now lying upon the bed of sickness : Visit 
him, Lord, with thy salvation ; deliver him in 
thy good appointed time from his bodily pain, and 
save his soul for thy mercies' sake ; that if it shall 
be thy pleasure to prolong his days here on earth, 
he may live to thee, and be an instrument of thy 
glory, by serving thee faithfully, and doing good 
in his generation : or else receive him into those 
heavenly habitations, where the souls of those 
who sleep in the Lord Jesus enjoy perpetual rest 
and felicity. Grant this, Lord, for thy mercies' 
sake, in the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ 
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy 
Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. 



116 the sailors' and soldiers' 



A Prayer for a Sick Person, where there appeareth but small 
hope of Recovery. 

O FATHER of mercies, and God of all com. 
fort, our only help in time of need ; we fly 
unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, 
here lying under thy hand in great weakness of 
body: look graciously upon Aim, O Lord; and 
the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen 
Aim, we beseech thee, so much the more continu- 
ally with thy grace and holy Spirit, in the inner 
man : give him unfeigned repentance for all the 
errors of his life past, and stedfast faith in thy Son 
Jesus, that his sins may be done away by thy mer- 
cy, and his pardon sealed in heaven, before he go 
hence, and be no more seen. We know, Lord, 
that there is no word impossible with thee ; and 
that, if thou wilt, thou canst even yet raise him 
up, and grant him a longer continuance amongst 
us: yet, forasmuch as in all appearance the time 
of his dissolution draweth near, so fit and prepare 
Aim, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, 
that after his departure hence in peace, and in thy 
favour, his soul may be received into thine ever- 
lasting kingdom ; through the merits and media- 
tion of Jesus Christ thine only Son, our Lord and 
Saviour. Amen. 



MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 117 



A Commendatory Prayer for a Sick Person at the point of 
Departure. 

O ALMIGHTY God, with whom do live the 
spirits of just men made perfect, after they 
are delivered from their earthly prisons ; we hum- 
bly commend the soul of this thy servant, our dear 
brother, into thy hands, as into the hands of a 
faithful Creator, and most merciful Saviour; most 
humbly beseeching thee, that it may be precious 
in thy sight : wash it, we pray thee, in the blood 
of that immaculate Lamb, that was slain to take 
away the sins of the world ; that whatsoever de- 
filements it may have contracted in the midst of 
this miserable and naughty world, through the 
lusts of the flesh, or the wiles of Satan, being 
purged and done away, it may be presented pure 
and without spot before thee. And teach us who 
survive, in this, and other like daily spectacles of 
mortality, to see how frail and uncertain our own 
condition is; and so to number our days, that we 
may seriously apply our hearts to that holy and 
heavenly wisdom, whilst we live here, which may 
in the end bring us to life everlasting, through the 
merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord. 
Amen. 



118 



A Prayer for Persons troubled in Mind or in Conscience. 

O BLESSED Lord, the Father of mercies, and 
the God of all comforts, we beseech thee, 
look down in pity and compassion upon this thy 
afflicted servant. Thou writest bitter things against 
Aim, and makest him to possess his former iniqui- 
ties : thy wrath lieth hard upon him., and his soul 
is full of trouble : but, O merciful God, who hast 
written thy holy word for our learning, that we, 
through patience and comfort of thy holy Scrip- 
tures, might have hope ; give him a right under- 
standing of himself \ and of thy threats and promi- 
ses ; that he may neither cast away his confidence 
in thee, nor place it any where but in thee. Give 
him strength against all his temptations, and heal 
all his distempers : break not the bruised reed, nor 
quench the smoking flax : shut not up thy tender 
mercies in displeasure ; but make him to hear of 
joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast 
broken may rejoice : deliver him from fear of the 
enemy, and lift up the light of thy countenance 
upon him; and give him peace, through the merits 
and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

A Prayer which may be said by the Minister, in behalf of all 
present at the Visitation. 

OGOD, whose days are without end, and 
whose mercies cannot be numbered; make 






MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 119 

us, we beseech thee, deeply sensible of the short- 
ness and uncertainty of human life ; and let thy 
Holy Spirit lead us through this vale of misery, in 
holiness and righteousness, all the days of our 
lives : that, when we shall have served thee in 
our generation, we may be gathered unto our 
fathers, having the testimony of a good conscience ; 
in the communion of the catholic Church ; in the 
confidence of a certain faith; in the comfort of a 
reasonable, religious, and holy hope ; in favour 
with thee our God, and in perfect charity with the 
world : All which we ask through Jesus Christ 

our Lord. Amen. 

# - 

A Prayer which may be said in case of Sudden Surprise and 
Immediate Danger. 

OMOST gracious Father, we fly unto thee for 
mercy in behalf of this thy servant, here 
lying under the sudden visitation of thine hand. 
If it be thy will, preserve his life, that there may 
be place for repentance : but, if thou hast other- 
wise appointed, let thy mercy supply to him the 
want of the usual opportunity for the trimming of 
his lamp. Stir up in him such sorrow for sin, and 
such fervent love to thee, as may in a short time 
do the work of many days : that among the praises 
which thy saints and holy angels shall sing to the 
honour of thy mercy through eternal ages, it may 
be to thy unspeakable glory, that thou hast re- 



120 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS' MANUAL. 

deemed the soul of this thy servant from eternal 
death, and made him partaker of the everlasting 
life, which is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

A Thanksgiving for the Beginning of a Recovery. 

GREAT and mighty God, who bringest down 
to the grave, and bringest up again ; we 
bless thy wonderful goodness, for having turned 
our heaviness into joy and our mourning into glad- 
ness, by restoring this our brother to some degree 
of his former health. Blessed be thy name that 
thou didst not forsake him in his sickness ; but didst 
visit him with comforts from above ; didst support 
him in patience and submission to thy will ; and, 
at last, didst send him seasonable relief. Perfect, 
we beseech thee, this thy mercy toward him; and 
prosper the means which shall be made use of for 
his cure: that being restored to health of body, 
vigour of mind, and cheerfulness of spirit, he may 
be able to go to thine house, to offer thee an obla- 
tion with great gladness ; and to bless thy holy 
name for all thy goodness toward Aim, through 
Jesus Christ our Saviour : to whom with thee and 
the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory world 
without end. Amen. 



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